Going Back  The Director's Cut
by dragonflybeach
Summary: In the middle of the battle, Draco realizes what's worth fighting for, and later, finds friends who will stand with him against a serial killer ex-Death Eater. And just maybe, Luna's not really loony. Chapter 67 - It all ends. Epilogue s  posted.
1. The Almost Escape

"I'm going back."

The words were spoken softly, but with the determination of a shout. The elder Malfoys stopped and turned in their tracks.

"Draco, sweetheart, we just have to get outside the boundary so we can apparate. It isn't much farther. Then we'll be home and away…"

"NO Mother!" he did shout then. "I have to go back."

"Son, the Dark Lord is winning this battle. He doesn't need more help…" Lucius' next words faded away at the look on his son's face.

"I'm not going back to help HIM." Draco shoved his hands angrily through his hair and restlessly paced for few moments before stopping to face his parents. "You don't know what happened earlier tonight. Potter saved my life."

"You can't be thinking of going back to save Potter!" Lucius took a step toward his son.

"I told the Dark Lord Potter was dead," Narcissa answered softly. "Whatever debt our family owes him…"

"I'm not going back to save Potter!" Draco shouted. He took a deep breath and continued in a lower volume, but with no less forcefulness. "I'd probably screw things up for him if I tried to help him anyway." A deep sigh. "But Potter came back for me. Me. The one person who has tormented him from the moment we started at this school. He wouldn't leave me to the Fiendfyre, even if I deserved it." The younger Malfoy looked over his shoulder, back toward Hogwarts, then back at his parents. "There is one person in that school who has never judged me. She never responded with hostility or sarcasm when I made fun of her. She never cared that I was a Malfoy or how much money I had or how handsome I was or whether I was a Weasley with no money and red hair. She doesn't care about Griffyndors or Slitherins or Pure Bloods or Mud Bloods. She sees everyone with the same open heart and gentleness and understanding. And if she could see me right now she'd probably say the Wrackspurts are making my brain all fuzzy, but my mind is clearer than it's ever been. Potter didn't leave me. I'm not going to leave her. I will fight the Death Eaters _and_ Potter and his friends if I have to. If I don't make it out of that castle alive, I will do everything I can to make sure she does."

Draco turned from his stunned parents and began to run back to the castle.

"Draco, wait!"

He didn't slow down. He didn't look back, although he heard their footsteps behind him. Only when his father grabbed the back of his cloak did he stop.

Whirling angrily, he began "You're not…" but Lucius held up his hand.

"You're not going back alone."


	2. The Battle Part 1

Draco nodded slightly and placed his mother's wand in his father's hand. "Here. Mother needs this."

Narcissa was almost upon them now. "No!" she shouted, horrified. "Draco, take it!"

He looked at her grimly. "I'll get one."

Lucius nodded in understanding. "Me too. We'll have your back"

Not waiting for a second longer, Draco took off again as fast as he could run. Skirting around the side wall, he found a hole blasted low in the stone. He peeked inside, and a whispered "Accio." brought him the wand from a nearby corpse. He crept a little farther along to another hole in the wall, this one big enough for him to slip through. He stood, and immediately had to dodge a curse. Red and green sparks flew from wands all around him. Looking toward the main building, he saw Longbottom on his hands and knees, reaching for the Sorting Hat while a Death Eater narrowed his sights.

"Stupefy!" Malfoy shouted. The Death Eater stumbled back two steps, but didn't fall. Damn wand. "Stupefy! Stupefy!" The Death Eater finally fell, to Draco's relief.

"Malfoy!" Longbottom was struggling to stand with a bad leg, a wand in one hand and sword in the other, both pointed unwaveringly at Draco. "What the hell was that?"

"Nargles," Malfoy answered, offering a hand to help him up. "Have you seen Luna?"

Longbottom burst into laughter as he accepted Draco's hand. "I had to find Hannah Abbott earlier, to tell her I'm mad about her before we die. We'll find Luna."

The two young men stood back to back, dueling with all who dared to face them. The strange wand began to respond to Draco slightly better, but still was no comparison to his real wand. Neville, however, deflected curses and knocked down Death Eaters with astonishing skill. Malfoy was about to comment on his partner's newfound talents when a movement near his feet caught his eyes.

"Neville! The snake!" he shouted.

Longbottom spun around and sliced the snake's head off in one smooth motion, whirled the rest of the way around, passing the sword over Malfoy's ducked head, and resumed hexing the enemy.

"Harry Potter, my arse. Neville Fucking Longbottom is my hero." Draco muttered. Neville snickered.

At that moment, a small army came storming into the courtyard led by Professor Slughorn and Another Freaking Weasley. Someone right behind the leaders caught Draco's eye and smiled for a moment before charging into the building. Theo Nott.

A female scream split the air.

"Luna," Malfoy gasped, even though he wasn't sure who exactly made the sound.

"Go!" Longbottom gave him a small shove. "I'll cover you." Draco set off at a run.

Malfoy charged toward the Great Hall, dodging curses and duels. He passed his mother, dueling with one of the few Death Eaters still wearing a mask, but she seemed to be holding her own easily. He looked around, spotting his father dueling with Nott Senior. Good, that would keep Theo's father away from him.

He ran into the Great Hall, spotting Luna almost immediately. She, Granger, and the Weasley girl were backed into a corner, all three of them dueling Aunt Bella. His aunt fired a killing curse that passed right between Luna and Weaslette.

"Bellatrix!" he shouted, firing a Cruciatus curse that narrowly missed her.

At that moment, he was struck from behind by a falling Death Eater, knocking him to his hands and knees. He hoped he had her attention, that his aunt was about to strike him dead rather than turning her attention back to the girls.

Before he could look up, a voice shrieked "Not my daughter, you bitch!"

Molly Weasley was firing spells at Bellatrix, who was cackling like a loon. He slipped around the pair, pulling Weaslette and Luna out of the corner.

Hermione practically growled at him. "We don't need your help, Malfoy."

Malfoy was so thankful something in this whole insane situation was normal he actually smiled. "Shut up, Granger."

A chunk of plaster flew out of the wall right above his head. He shoved the Weasley girl to the side, pulling Luna behind him, and firing a stunning spell at the Death Eater aiming at them.

"Stay together!" he hissed at Granger and Weaslette. He pulled Luna along behind him, running over in his mind where he could get her to safety. He was almost to the door when he spotted a killing curse hurled at them from the corner of his eye. He ducked, covering Luna with his body as best he could. Almost instantly a shield charm was cast over them. He looked from one side to another, wondering who had tried to kill him, and who had protected him. He couldn't see who had thrown the curse, but he did see who had cast the shield. Theo. Before he could speak, he heard the words "Avada Kedavra!" in a sickeningly familiar voice. Theo fell, his face reflecting his shock. Vincent Crabbe turned his wand toward Draco and Luna as the shield collapsed.


	3. The Battle Part 2

Another, even more familiar voice spoke behind him. "Avada Kedavra!" Crabbe dropped to the floor. In the next moment his father's arms were lifting them off the ground. A heartbeat later, his mother was at their side.

Murmurs began through the crowd. "The Dark Lord is dead!" "Harry Potter has defeated Voldemort!"

In desperation, the remaining Death Eaters battled with everything they had. The air hung heavy with red and green flashes against smoke and dust.

He looked into Luna's eyes for a long moment before placing her hand in his father's.

"Get them out of here!" he shouted to Lucius shouted over the din.

Lucius placed one cloaked arm over each of the women, ushering them toward the exit as Draco headed back into the battle.

Luna stopped, digging her heels in. Lucius looked at her in surprise

"Mr. Malfoy," her voice was as soft and composed as if they were discussing the weather over tea. "I appreciate that you're being chivalrous and trying to rescue us, but I'd rather stay here and fight with Draco."

Narcissa whipped around to her husband's other side and took Luna's hand. "Me too." she said.

Lucius stared at them, his fiercest Malfoy glare, before giving in. "Back to back. Draco would never forgive me if anything were to happen to either of you."

The trio rejoined the battle, but noticed there were fewer and fewer curses being cast. The battle was quickly winding down, and the Death Eaters were losing.

Draco reached Theo's body in two leaps. Damn Theo. Damn noble idealistic son of a bitch who never belonged in Slytherin. Should have stayed wherever they took the rest of the house instead of rushing back here like a damn Gryffindor. Only when he stood over Nott's corpse did he notice the person laying dead beside him. Blaise. Draco felt as if he had been punched in the gut. There was no indication who killed Blaise, or even whether he died in defense of Hogwarts or attacking it. But it didn't matter. His four best friends were all dead. Draco grabbed first Theo, then Blaise under both arms, pulling their bodies against the wall and standing in front of them. He dueled with any Death Eater who looked his way and desperately hoped that his parents and Luna had gotten out safely. The red and green lights had slowed noticeably when he caught a flash of blonde hair in his peripheral vision. No!

Luna walked up as calmly as if this were Charms class to stand beside him.

"Luna, I thought my father was taking you to safety!" he hissed, looking over her shoulder for his parents.

"But I didn't want to go," she said as if that were perfectly reasonable.

At that moment, the insane cackling stopped, replaced by an almost inhuman scream. Bellatrix Lestrange fell dead at Molly Weasley's feet. The handful of remaining Death Eaters dropped their wands.

The battle was over, and the light had won.

Neville hobbled over to them, the sword still in one hand, the other around Hannah Abbott's waist. He dropped the sword by his side, and held out his hand to Malfoy.

"Your hero has arrived," he joked lamely.

Draco took the offered hand and pulled Longbottom in for a hug, mumbling "Neville Fucking Longbottom." At once both girls hugged them, and the four clung together for a long moment. Malfoy pulled back, and looked down again at Blaise and Theo, tears stinging his eyes.

"C'mon, let's take them over to the hospital area," Neville said thickly, levitating Theo's body. Malfoy looked at him for a moment, then shoved his acquired wand in his pocket and heaved Blaise onto his shoulder in fireman's carry. Longbottom shrugged, then did the same with Theo.

Trailed by the girls, they walked past his father, who was helping Mr. Weasley and Shacklebolt restrain the prisoners. Arriving at the morgue, Malfoy was sickened to see all the casualities. Professor Lupin and his wife. That girl Lavender in his year. The kid with the camera. What was his name? Creavey? Pansy's older brother. The lady who worked at the bookstore in Hogsmede. One of the Weasley twins. His mother sat to the side, sobbing with her arms around a woman who just kept crying "My baby!" over and over. Aunt Andromeda? Draco wasn't sure, he'd never met her.

There was a strangled cry from Hannah, as she spotted her father on a cot. He was at the edge of the dead, and from this vantage point, Malfoy couldn't tell if he was alive or not. She ran to his side, Neville right behind her.

Draco's chest tightened, looking at so many dead, so many he had known for so long. They couldn't be gone. All these people. He had to get out of here.

"Mr. Malfoy!" Professor McGonagall's voice reached him, and he instantly tensed, expecting the worst. Instead of rebuke, her next words held concern. "Are you all right? You're covered in blood!"

He looked down. He was covered in blood. Neville's Theo's, Blaise's, his own. Who knows whose else. The pressure in his chest built to the point he couldn't breathe.

"Scourgefy!" McGonagall's spell cleansed him outwardly, but did nothing for the stains on his soul. Just as the edges of his vision started to go black, he felt a small hand in his.

"Come on Draco, you need some fresh air," Luna murmured. "The wrackspurts are doing a number on you." She led him out of the Great Hall, out of a secret passage behind one of the tapestries, into the Forbidden Forest. He realized he should ask how she knew of the secret passage, but right now, he just didn't want to speak.

They walked in silence, hand in hand, deeper into the forest than he had ever been. Deep enough that he didn't notice the clouds rolling in until the rain drops began to fall. His first thought was that the Hogwarts grounds wanted to cleanse themselves, to wash away the blood and the gore. The next was that he and Luna were about to get soaked, as neither of them had outer robes or a cloak.

"Fuck," Draco muttered, looking around for somewhere for them to take shelter, when the air in the small clearing just ahead shimmered, and a small cabin appeared.

"Bloody hell," he gasped. "Where did that come from?"

"I was just standing here thinking of what we needed, you know, like we did at the Room of Requirement," Luna explained as if cabins magically appeared all the time.

"That works out here in the forest?"

"It worked for me," Luna laughed and skipped to the front door.


	4. Little House in the Forbidden Forest

The interior of the cabin was one room, smaller than Draco's bedroom at the Manor. A fluffy sofa faced a roaring fire just inside the door. Something delicious smelling simmered on the stove against the back wall, and a bed was in the opposite corner. His stomach rumbled.

Luna giggled. "It's chicken soup. Muggles believe it has healing properties. It actually does. Hermione told me there's some chemical in it that's good for your breathing passages. But I think that the more powerful properties are because it's made with love. You make it for the ones you love. That's what makes it effective against the bandenbruits."

"The what?" he asked, already lifting the lid on the pot.

"Bandenbruits. They're like wrackspurts, except instead of making your brain just fuzzy, they put negative thoughts and feelings into it." She laid a hand on his arm. "Your head is full of them. That's what makes you think you're a bad person, but you're really not."

Draco wasn't in the mood to argue the fact that he was, actually a bad person, so he silently spooned two bowls of soup, and found freshly baked bread, still warm, in the oven. He carried them over to the fire, where he and Luna ate in silence. When they finished, she took the bowls back to the kitchen area. She returned to find him on the sofa, scowling into the fire. She knelt on the cushion beside him, putting both arms around him and laying her head on his shoulder. When he didn't move after several minutes, she gently turned his head to face her.

"You really aren't. You are not a bad person." She insisted softly.

He yanked his sleeve up angrily and shoved his forearm at her. "Do you see this?" he spat. "THIS! This right here shows that I AM a bad person."

Luna gently laid her hand on the Dark Mark. "No, the wizard who put that mark on your arm was evil. You, Draco Malfoy, have a beautiful soul."

She looked at him so earnestly that he willed himself to believe her, even if only for her sake. He knew that no matter what he had done in his lifetime, and would do in the future, saving Luna would always his best accomplishment. The world needed her light.

She still looked at him as if she could see into his soul and wasn't repulsed by what was there. He lowered his head slowly, and she lifted hers, parting her lips slightly. He kissed her softly, with more care and tenderness than thought he possibly had in him. She reached up, threading her hands into his hair and slipping her tongue between his lips. With a groan, he yanked her against him, and in the space of a heartbeat they were a tangle of limbs and lips and clothing and she was on her back and he was on top of her and he should take her to the bed but to hell with that because this sofa was doing quite nicely and her lips were on his collarbone and her hand, oh shit, and he gasped her name and she told him not to stop and bloody hell she was a virgin and he had been much too rough with her but when he tried to pull back she breathed his name and bucked against him and he's so close and she moaned and tightened around him and Luna, oh shit, Luna I love you.

He collapsed with his face against her neck. When their breathing slowed, he raised his head, almost afraid to look at her.

She smiled at him dreamily, as if she knew the most amazing secret. She tilted her head up, kissed the end of his nose, and whispered "I know you do."

He rose and gently, almost reverently, carried her over to the bed. He lay down beside her, and for hours or maybe it was only minutes, looked into her eyes, silently reveling in the feeling that for the first time, only time in his life, his soul felt whole.

The rain had long ago stopped, the sun came out, and was starting to set. She kissed his nose again and whispered "I wish we could stay right here, just like this, forever."

He sighed. "You deserve so much better than me."

"You're exactly what I want, Draco Malfoy."

She kissed him again. He made love to her again, slowly, tenderly, committing every detail to the memories that would last the rest of his life.

They fell asleep cradled together as the last traces of light fled from the cabin. He awoke as the first traces of sunlight reached the windows. He slipped out of bed quietly and dressed in the pre-dawn light.

Walking back to the bed, he looked at her as long as he dared, memorizing how sweet and peaceful and unconcerned she looked in sleep. He slipped his signet ring off and placed it in her palm, curling her fingers around it, and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

Resolutely, willing himself not to turn back to her side, he walked out the front door of the cabin and apparated back to the Manor. It was time, as Professor McGonagall said, to face the music. He would wait for the Ministry to come for him.

Because they would come for him.


	5. Jailhouse Conversations

He was having *that* dream again, the one that made him not afraid to go to sleep. Luna sat in the big green armchair in his father's study, a toddler in her lap. She was showing the boy carved animals, telling him "lion", "giraffe", and "crumple horned snorkack" He approached her, and she looked up and smiled. The tiny boy with white blond hair and grey eyes reached up little arms toward him. Draco would gladly endure the dreams of death and torture just to have that dream every so often.

"Malfoy!" the shout brought him to his senses, dragging him away from his dream Luna and back into hell.

"Malfoy!" Henry Jorkins stood at the doorway of his cell. "You have a visitor."

It must be an important visitor, if the warden of Azkaban escorted them down personally.

The warden turned to a tall figure in the shadows as he unlocked the door. "One half hour. No more. And you understand how to summon help if you need it."

"Yes," the figure answered quietly.

The visitor stepped through the door, and the warden locked it behind him.

"Longbottom," Malfoy drawled tonelessly.

"That's Neville Fucking Longbottom to you."

Draco returned his grin, scooting to one end of the cot and gesturing for Neville to sit on the other. "I'd offer you a drink or breakfast, but it's the house elf's day off." He joked.

Neville pulled something from his pocket. "Speaking of drinks, Luna sent you this." He handed Draco a butterbeer cap necklace. "According to her, this place is literally crawling with nargles and bandy-somethings. She tried to send you a box of radishes and a cauldron of chicken soup too, but they didn't make it past the front desk."

Draco clenched his jaw and shut his eyes tightly, willing down the wave of memories that came with the mention of chicken soup.

"How," his voice cracked, and he took a deep breath before continuing. Neville thankfully pretended not to notice. "How is she?"

"Doing well, actually," Longbottom answered. "You know right after the final battle, her dad was arrested. The Weasleys took her in. But her dad's trial was last week, and he was found not guilty of all charges, due to the fact the only reason he cooperated with the Death Eaters was because Luna was being held captive. Now she's back home with him. She's going back to Hogwarts in the fall."

Draco nodded. Her father had no idea that Luna had been the safest prisoner ever held in the Malfoy dungeons. No one would ever know what he had gone through to keep her that way. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that Luna was safe.

"Draco," Neville waited until he looked up. "She said she tried to visit but you had left instructions that you didn't want to see her."

"Neville, please, keep her away from here. Away from me. My name and my reputation are destroyed. Both sides see me as a traitor. I have no future. She deserves better than that."

Neville shook his head. "We're going to get you out of here. We're going to clear your name, and you and Luna can live happily ever after."

"We who?" Malfoy asked suspiciously.

"The Order," Neville said.

Malfoy looked at him skeptically but didn't answer.

Longbotttom continued on. "That's what I came to tell you. Harry got your trial changed to next week. He and Hermione are going to represent you before the Wizengamot. He's also representing your parents. We're going to get all of you out of here."

A snort of disbelief was his only answer so Neville changed the subject.

"I heard Parkinson tried to sign up for conjugal visits but you had her on your no visit list as well. " Neville exaggeratedly waggled his eyebrows.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'd rather have conjugal visits from the Dementors."

Neville pretended to seriously consider that statement. "I can see where there would be a lot of similarities…"

They both laughed.

"Hey Draco, did you know they're changing the name of this place?"

"Really?"

"Yeah, they're gonna name it after me and call it BadAssKaban."

Three days later, Neville was back. This time he had managed to smuggle in an apple and an orange to Draco.

"Did you stuff them in your bra like Pansy?" Draco teased.

Neville rolled his eyes. "Nah, I would have needed a couple grapefruit for that."

He waited until Draco had a mouthful of apple to make his announcement. "Your parents are home." and then clapped Malfoy on the back when he choked.

"You arse, you did that on purpose." Longbottom smiled and didn't deny it. "So what happened? You can't just say something like that and not explain."

Neville stood and leaned against the opposite wall to face Draco as he spoke.

"Hermione was your parents' lawyer, and Harry was the star witness. They tried your mother first, as her trial was somewhat easier. Harry told about how she had lied to Voldemort and said he was dead. Luna testified that while she was prisoner at Malfoy Manor, your mother was kind to her and she was protected from the other Death Eaters as much as possible. And that she never saw your mother actually participate in any Death Eater crimes, just that she witnessed them. Several people testified that she fought against the Death Eaters in the Battle of Hogwarts. So in the end, the only crimes she was found guilty of were failing to report Death Eater activities. She was sentenced to 6 months' house arrest, to be served at Malfoy Manor."

Neville paused, grabbing the blanket off the end of Draco's cot and transfiguring it into a chair. Wandlessly.

Draco whistled in admiration of Neville's skills. Neville smiled and winked as he sat down.

"I am Neville Fucking Longbottom. Anyway, your dad, well, that was a bit more tricky case, because he did actually participate in Death Eater crimes, and everyone knew it. But, he testified under the veritaserum that he didn't really agree with or believe in all of the Dark Lord's crap, he was a follower because he expected Voldemort to win and he wanted to make sure he was on the winning side for his family's sake. Then of course there was considerable testimony of how he defected from the Death Eaters and fought the Battle of Hogwarts on our side. Mr. Weasley, Ron and all's dad, gave this long impassioned speech. Apparently your dad saved Ron and George during the battle. And the staff here at Azkaban testified that this time around your dad has been a model prisoner, compared to last time, when he was a bit, um, shall we say, obnoxious and overbearing, and escaped. So after debate among the Wizengamot that lasted even longer than the testimony, he was eventually sentenced to five years of house arrest."

Draco nodded, murmuring softly "Thank you."

"Hey, you're next, mate." Neville gestured at the door. "Your trial is five days away, and we'll have you out of here. Time for figuring out what it is you're going to be when you grow up."

"I'm going to be Draco Malfoy, unbelievably cool, devilishly handsome, filthy rich smartass extrordinaire. Just like I've always been."

Neville rolled his eyes. "Seriously. Harry, Ron, and I are going to Auror training. Hermione is training to work in Magical Law Enforcement. Hannah's going to work at the bookstore in Hogsmeade until she decides what she wants to do." Neville stood, transforming the chair back into a blanket and tossing it onto the cot. "Think about it. Who better to catch Dark Wizards than someone who knows how they think?"

The warden stood at the doorway, ready to let Neville out. He shook Draco's hand and said he would be back.

Draco laid on the bed, pulling out the necklace buried under his prison issue robes. The inside of the bottlecap said "Beautiful Soul". He held it in his hand, closed his eyes, and let his thougts wander to the girl who gave it to him.


	6. Hary Potter and the Defective Potion

Neville returned two days before the trial, Harry Potter in tow. Not only did the warden escort them to Draco's cell, but several of his lackeys accompanied them, bringing chairs for the guests. Draco was surprised there wasn't a press conference and brass band.

As soon as they were alone, Neville pulled two sandwiches out of his pocket, which Draco devoured greedily.

"So we're here to talk about the trial," Harry said rather unnecessarily.

Draco stared at a spot in the middle of the floor, not quite sure how to deal with The Savior of the Wizarding World. Normally, when he didn't know how to handle something, he responded by being obnoxious. Right now that didn't seem like such a good plan.

"We've gotten permission for your mother to come, as she will be called as a witness. Your father, well, if we need him for testimony no one else can provide, they will reconsider, but for the moment his request to attend is denied."

Draco nodded, still staring at the floor.

Harry continued on. "We've got a considerably long list of other witnesses as well." he ticked them off on his fingers. "Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Professor McGonagall, Mr. Ollivander, Luna…"

Draco finally looked up, piercing Harry with his darkest scowl. "I don't want her there. I don't want my mother there if there's any way around it."

Neville stood up, nearly knocking over the chair. "Malfoy, get your head out of your arse! We're not talking about your damn pride getting hurt here! We're talking about saving your arse from life in Azkaban or possibly even The Kiss! You tried to kill Dumbledore, one of the most respected wizards in recent history! You let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts! You poisoned the mead that almost killed the son of one of the highest ranking ministry officials! There were witnesses to you using Unforgivables! Voldemort was grooming you to be his fucking heir apparent! You need to worry about your sorry hide, not play the fucking martyr bit!"

Neville stalked over to the doorway and leaned against the wall with his back to the others.

Harry looked at Draco with, what the hell, sympathy? "Luna wants to help," he said softly. "She is terribly worried about you being here, and wants to see you."

"NO, Potter!" Draco shoved his hands through his hair angrily. "DO NOT bring her here! She does not EVER need to see the inside of this place!" He took a deep breath and blew it out along with all his hostility. "Call her as a witness for the trial if you need to. And my mother, she…" he looked over toward Neville, who turned to face him. "Neville, promise me, if things go badly, get my mother and Luna away. Don't let them be here when the Dementors come for me."

"Promise, mate." Neville nodded, his voice thick with emotion.

"Potter," Draco looked Harry in the eye. "Whatever damage control that's possible, I don't want Luna dragged down with the Malfoy family."

Harry nodded.

Draco sighed. "I'm serious. Talk to her. Make her see sense, that's it one thing to testify for me but it's another to throw her life away. She would have to be mad to let her name get linked with mine. Don't let her do that. Don't let her be looked down upon and ridiculed."

A smile played around Harry's lips. "Malfoy, you realize we're talking about a girl who wears a lion's head, radish earrings, and no shoes?"

Draco half smiled as well. "You know what I mean." he turned serious again. "She lives in a world of sunshine and rainbows and unicorns. Don't let the darkness destroy that." He looked toward the wall, jaw clenched, forcing down the emotions.

Harry leaned forward and grasped Draco's hands. "You," he said quietly and with great determination. "You have to fight the darkness as well. You can't give in to it."

Draco looked at him with eyes totally devoid of hope, eyes much too world weary to belong to a young man less than 20 years old.

Harry looked over at Neville who was still by the door. Neville nodded. Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle.

"Here," he placed the bottle in Draco's hand. "It's Dreamless Sleep Potion. Get some rest tonight and tomorrow night."

Draco slipped the potion under his pillow. Neville coughed, and a moment later, the warden appeared at the door. Harry and Neville stood, as two assistants came in to fetch the chairs, staying close to the wall and nervously eyeing the dangerous Death Eater on the cot.

Harry and Neville both murmured some words of farewell. Draco didn't notice, too lost in the evil only he could see.

Halfway down the hall, Neville poked Harry. "Told ya he was head over heels."

Harry shook his head. "I never would have believed it."

"What?" Neville asked. "That the Slytherin Prince is madly in love with the Queen of the Nargles?"

"No," Harry laughed. "That Draco Malfoy has a heart."

He sobered as they reached the front gate. "We've got to get him out of here." Harry looked up at the circling Dementors. "They're getting to me, and we've been here less than an hour. He's been here almost two months."

* * *

><p>There was something wrong with Potter's Dreamless Sleep Potion. Figures. Potter was never worth piss when it came to Potions. Because Draco was most definitely dreaming. Not that he was complaining. He was asleep on his cot in Azkaban, and Luna was sitting beside him. She was beautiful. Her hair shone in the gloom until it almost hurt his eyes to look at it. She smelled of fresh air and sunshine and homemade bread, not like death and decay like everything else in Azkaban. She smoothed his hair away from his face and spoke to him softly.<p>

"Harry said you didn't want me to see such a dark, discouraging place. You really are such a gentleman, Draco."

She laid down beside him, putting her head on his shoulder and her hand over his heart.

She didn't say another word, which was ok, because she was there, and she stayed with him all night, even if it was just a dream.

In the morning, when he woke feeling better than he had since he had been in Azkaban, he wondered again what the hell was in that potion, because his sheets smelled like fresh air and sunshine and fresh baked bread.

* * *

><p>AN - Thank you so much for all the reviews and story alerts! It might take a couple days to get the next part posted. It's the trial. Harry does most of the talking, and he wants to make sure I have all the details exactly right. Which isn't easy when Neville keeps interrupting to talk about what happens after that.

But stay tuned for the trial. Luna will be there. ;-)


	7. Pretrial Motions

Draco refused to risk drinking any more of Potter's Not So Dreamless Sleep Potion, so that night, not surprisingly, he dreamed of his trial. At least, it was supposed to be his trial, but the details of the proceedings never materialized. Instead, he was busy studying Luna, who was sitting in the gallery. She wore muggle clothing and radish earrings but was barefoot. The part that drew his attention, but apparently no one else's, was the fact she had brought a pet. She carried a baby ferret in a basket. What did you call a baby ferret, anyway? A pup? A cub? Whatever. She finally looked at him, and gave him the same I've Got A Secret smile as she had that day in the cabin. He felt there was something important he was missing, but he just didn't know what it was.

"Malfoy!" the warden's assistant rattled his cell door. "Your escort will be here in 15 minutes."

Apparently Jorkins was still trying to suck up to Potter and company. By the time the door opened, Draco had dressed and washed his face. Not much else he could do, and he hoped the scraggly beard covered his sunken cheeks enough not to frighten his mother. The assistant warden and two Dementors escorted him to the warden's office, where not only Potter and Neville awaited him, but also Shacklebolt, Ron Weasley, and one of the older Weasley brothers, the one with the scars on his face. 

"All this attention for little old me?" Draco drawled, trying to sound bored.

"Yes, well, your trial has attracted a good bit of attention, and the Ministry wanted to make sure you didn't take advantage of the crowd and such to escape." Shacklebolt explained. "We're going through the floo directly into my office in the Ministry. Arthur Weasley and George Babkins are waiting in my office with wands drawn, so don't get any ideas, Mr. Malfoy. Ron and Bill, you go through first. Then Potter, you take Malfoy through, and Longbottom and I will go through last."

"Sir, I'll take Malfoy," Neville offered. Everyone turned to look at him and he flushed. "I mean, well, I'm bigger than Harry, and Malfoy would have less chance to overpower me."

Shacklebolt looked unconvinced. 

"Neville has very strong magical talents, sir" Harry offered. "He's probably the best in our Auror class." 

The Minister stared at Draco for a long moment before nodding. "All right. But be warned, Mr. Malfoy, that all of the guards here and at the Ministry have been instructed that should you try to escape, they are to bring you down by any means necessary." 

Malfoy gave him his best glare and said "I would expect nothing less." 

Once the group re-assembled in the Minister's office, Mr. Weasley informed them that the press was assembled in the hallways, ready to ambush anyone they could on the way to the courtroom. Therefore, the decision was made to have the others proceed to the courtroom first and deflecting as much attention as possible, and leaving Neville, Mr. Weasley, and Bill to escort Draco, who would be under the invisibilty cloak, just before the start of the trial. Babkins led the Minister, Harry, and Ron out into the hall, and the shouts started almost immediately. 

"Minister, why was the date of Draco Malfoy's trial changed?" 

"Are you seeking The Kiss for Malfoy?" 

"Mr. Potter, why are you helping your lifelong enemy?" 

Draco's bravado began to crumble. He looked at the person he had begun to consider his best friend. "Neville, you promised..." 

Neville tried to smile. "Hey, it's not going to come to that. You'll be back at Malfoy Manor tonight." 

Mr. Weasley looked at Draco as if he felt sorry for him and patted his shoulder. The scarred Weasley just stared at him, emotionless, barely even blinking. That guy was one scary son of a bitch. 

Draco leaned back against the wall, closed his eyes, and concentrated on breathing slowly and evenly. 

A few minutes later, he heard a chair scraping against the floor. He opened his eyes to find Mr. Weasley was giving him the same sympathetic look. "Are you ready, son?" 

He put on the arrogant, smirking persona like a cloak. "Well, then, let's get this show started." 

The Weasley son walked in front, because seriously, who would mess with him. Draco, under the cloak, walked behind him, and Neville and Mr. Weasley walked side by side at the rear. 

Rita Skeeter was interviewing an old man in purple robes in the corridor. "Tell me, Darling Dodgy, what is it like to be the Cheif Warlock of the Wizengamot for the most anticipated trial of the year?" 

"Well, Rita, of course I shall uphold my office and rule with fairness and justice. I only wish the position had not come due to the death of my lifelong friend Albus Dumbledore." 

Oh, this is not good


	8. The Trial Part 1

When they reached the doorway to the chamber, Mr. Weasley motioned for the guards at the doorway to gather around them before he lifted the cloak off Draco. He looked to the captain of the guards. "Remember, Skeeter is an insect animagus, so keep an eye on her."

Everyone turned to look as they entered the courtroom. Oh shit. The full Wizengamot was there, and gallery was completely filled with several people standing around the edges or leaning against the wall. His mother gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth when she saw him. He gave her what he hoped was a smile. Luna was a few chairs down. She wore flowing lavender robes with a purple flower in her hair. She looked like a fairy who should be playing in a field of flowers. Draco wondered for a moment if was wearing shoes. She smiled at him as if all of this was perfectly normal. Neville nodded at him. Weasel, sitting beside Neville, just scowled at him.

Scary Weasley led him to the Accused's Chair, where Potter stood talking to Granger. She looked horrified at his appearance.

"Malfoy, you look like hell," she gasped.

"Lovely to see you too, Granger." he retorted.

She walked to her seat in the front row of the gallery, looking back over her shoulder at him.

Harry put his hand on Draco's shoulder. "Ok, then. Just stay calm. We're going to get through this. Just answer their questions honestly. There are a lot of people here on your side."

Draco looked at Harry's shaking hand and wondered which of them the pep talk was directed to.

"All rise as the Wizengamot is called to order! The Honorable Elphias Doge presiding."

The old man from the hall took the Chief Warlock's seat.

"The jurists and gallery may be seated. The accused, please remain standing. We are here for the trial of Draco Lucius Malfoy, accused of being a Death Eater, and as such, participating in crimes against the wizarding community to include Murder, Attempted Murder, Torture, Kidnapping, False Imprisonment, Harboring Fugitives from Justice, Conspiracy, Treason Against the Ministry of Magic, and Criminal Mischief. Mr. Scribe, let the record show that the trial began promptly at 10am on the first of July 1998."

He turned his attention to the two young men in the middle of the room. "Mr. Malfoy, do you wish to plead guilty to these crimes?"

Draco stared at the man, unable to open his mouth even when he felt Potter's elbow in his side.

"Your Honor, we wish to explain Mr. Malfoy's actions." Potter answered for him.

"Let the record show that Mr. Harry Potter is assisting Mr. Malfoy in his defense. Very well, Mr. Potter, I understand you have more than two dozen witnesses present today. For the sake of time, we will swear them all in at once."

The scribe instructed all the witnesses to rise and sounding infinintely bored, led them through pledging to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

"Very well then, we will begin with the fact that Mr. Malfoy tried, on not once, but three occasions, to murder Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Wizarding and Witchcraft, and formerly the Chief Warlock of this court, and on the night he died, although you yourself did not cast the Killing Curse, you were present when he was killed by Severus Snape and did not intercede to save the poor man. How do you explain that action, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco cleared his throat but still answered hoarsely. "Sir, I was under orders from Lord Voldemort to do kill Professor Dumbledore. If I had not tried, he would have killed my parents and me."

"Your Honor, I was present on the Astronomy Tower the night Professor Dumbledore was killed." Harry said. "Mr. Malfoy was obviously under great duress at the moment. Mr. Malfoy disarmed Professor Dumbledore and had him cornered and helpless, but did not make an effort to harm him. The Professor offered to help the Malfoy family and protect them from Voldemort. Mr. Malfoy had lowered his wand. But at that moment, the Death Eaters stormed the tower, and Professor Snape did strike Professor Dumbledore with the killing curse," murmurs began among the courtroom. Harry cleared his throat and continued loudly. "BUT he did so by prior arrangement between them."

The Chief Warlock looked pointedly at Harry. "Mr. Potter, would you please explain that statement to the court?"

"Professor Dumbledore had been cursed by one of Voldemort's horcruxes. He was dying. No one knew but Professor Snape. Professor Dumbledore was aware that Voldemort had ordered Mr. Malfoy to kill him. He made Professor Snape promise that when the time came, that Professor Snape would kill him and not allow Mr. Malfoy to do so. He was very much concerned for Mr. Malfoy's soul. Professor Snape did not want to do so, but he was aware that he would be sparing Professor Dumbledore from a long and painful death from the curse."

Draco looked at Harry dumbfounded. He had had no idea.

The Chief Warlock leaned forward. "Mr. Potter, can you prove these statements?"

"Yes, Your Honor. Through Professor Dumbledore's and Professor Snape's memories to be viewed in a pensieve."

Doge nodded. "In the interest of time, the court will accept your word, Mr. Potter, based on your standing in the wizard community, and not subject fifty people to having to use the pensieve. However, Mr. Malfoy still poisoned a bottle of mead and attempted to present a cursed necklace to Professor Dumbledore."

"Professor Slughorn," Harry called, turning to the gallery. The old man stood by holding the shoulders of the people seated on either side of him. "Please tell the court of your conversation with Professor Dumbledore over these items."

"Well, Albus and I agreed that the mead was a most clumsy attempt to harm someone. The poison used was one easily treated with common antidotes. And anyone as bright as Albus surely would have studied the necklace carefully before touching it, if it was an anonymous gift. Albus felt that whoever made these attempts on his life was not serious in their ill intent."

"Thank you, Horace," The Chief Warlock waved for him to be seated. "Mr. Malfoy, how many people have you killed?"

"None, Sir," Draco answered quietly.

"Not even in the Battle of Hogwarts? Not in the Battle on the Astronomy Tower? Not on the so called orders of Lord Voldemort?"

"None, Sir," he repeated.

"Your Honor," Harry said. "There were no fatalities during the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, except Professor Dumbledore." he turned to the gallery. "Neville Longbottom, you fought alongside Mr. Malfoy during the Battle of Hogwarts. Which side did he fight with?"

Neville stood. "Dumbledore's Army. He saved my life and duelled Death Eaters at my back."

Harry continued. "Did he _kill_ anyone?"

"No," Neville shook his head. "Only stunning and bodybind curses and the like."

"Hermione Granger," Potter turned his attention toward her. "Tell us about the situation in which you encountered Mr. Malfoy during the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Well," Granger looked around nervously and licked her lips. "Bellatrix Lestrange had us cornered, by us I mean myself, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood. The three of us were duelling her, but she had us at the disadvantage."

"So the duel was not going well?"

"No. No, it was not. She was hurling Killing Curses at us that we were trying to dodge. I honestly thought we were going to die." she looked down and then back at the court. "Mr. Malfoy shouted to distract Bellatrix. She turned toward him but at that moment he was knocked to the ground by someone behind him. Bellatrix raised her wand toward him, but then Molly Weasley engaged Bellatrix in a duel. Mr. Malfoy pulled us out of the corner, told Ginny and me to stay together, and he protected Luna."

"So, Miss Ginevra Weasley," Potter addressed the redhead next to Granger. "Mr. Malfoy saved you, Miss Granger, and Miss Luna Lovegood at great personal risk to himself?"

Weaslette stood proudly and addressed the assembly like a queen holding court. Damn, she was Griffyndor to the bone. "Yes, that is correct. Had my mother not called out Bellatrix, she would have killed Mr. Malfoy."

"I do not believe that," sputtered Doge. "Bellatrix Lestrange was his aunt, for Merlin's sake. She would not have killed him."

"You Honor," Harry addressed him. "Bellatrix killed Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, who was her niece, and Sirius Black, who was her cousin." He turned to the gallery. "Narcissa Malfoy, while in your home, did your sister Bellatrix use the Cruciatus Curse on your husband, her brother in law, and your son, her nephew?"

"Yes she did," his mother answered queitly. "Her loyalty was completely to the Dark Lord. She would have tortured or killed anyone else for his sake."

"Which brings us to the actions in the Malfoy home while Voldemort made it his headquarters." Harry said before Doge could ask further questions. "Miss Granger, while you were captive in the Malfoy home, did you witness Mr. Malfoy bring harm to anyone?"

"No, I did not," Granger answered, staring at Draco.

"Mr. Dean Thomas, the same question." Harry directed.

Dean stood. "No, he did not. He was present, but he did not participate. And he quite frankly looked rather nauseous during the times Voldemort tortured someone in front of him."

There was a twittering in the crowd. Fuck them.

"Tell us how you were treated during your captivity at Malfoy Manor." Harry said.

"We were disarmed and kept in the dungeon, mostly in the dark, but we were fed and kept warm. One time the house elf who brought our food mentioned that Master Draco had asked her to watch and make sure we had enough to eat."

"Miss Lovegood, what can you tell us about your time as a captive at Malfoy Manor?"

Draco held his breath as she rose gracefully and smiled at him before facing the Chief Warlock.

"I was afraid of Voldemort and most of his followers, but I was not afraid of the Malfoys. Actually, I felt quite safe." she said.

"How on earth did you feel safe, being held prisoner?" Doge looked like he was about to rupture something.

"Late one night, two of the Death Eaters were stumbling down the stairs. They were quite loud and clumsy, you see. I could hear them coming, but couldn't see them as they were still around the bend of the staircase. They were talking of how much fun they were going to have with the blond girl. Of course, that would have been me, because I was the only blond and the only girl in the dungeon. When they reached the landing on the stairs, they encountered Draco, who hexed both of them. He told them not to come back, because he would be there waiting. A few nights later, they did try to come back, but he was on the landing of the stairs again. They used the Cruciatus Curse on him, but the house elves came and stood at the door. He had ordered them not to let any of the Death Eaters harm us if he was incapacitated." She looked at Draco admiringly. "The next morning, Mrs. Malfoy came down to ensure that no harm had come to me. She told me that Draco slept on the landing of the stairs every night to make sure that no one came to bother me."

Draco looked at his mother who smiled at him.

Harry turned back to Narcissa. "Mrs. Malfoy, how were you aware that your son slept on the landing of the stairs?"

She rolled her eyes, demonstrating clearly where her son had gotten that particular habit. "I am his _mother_, Mr. Potter."

Draco looked at the floor. He had never meant for Luna to know that. Hell, he ever meant for anyone to know that.

Granger's hand shot up like she was in freaking Potions class. "Your Honor, if I may..." Doge nodded. "Malfoy, if someone had tried to sexually assault me while I was prisoner at Malfoy Manor, would you have tried to stop them?"

He looked at her then back at the floor. "If I could have, yes. No one deserves to be abused that way."

A thoughtful look crossed through Granger's eyes, but she didn't say anything else.

"Well this is all very touching and all," Doge sneered. "But back to the Battle of Hogwarts. I clearly remember seeing your parents call you to Voldemort's side, Mr. Malfoy. And I seem to recall seeing the three Malfoy's fleeing down the path like cowards, away from the battle."

Mrs. Malfoy spoke without waiting for anyone to address her. "Sir, my husband and I did attempt to leave with our son. We were concerned about his well-being. At the time we called him over to the Dark Lord's side, our only intention was to get him away safely. However, it was Draco who insisted on returning to the battle. His father and I went back because of him."

"How did you come to have prisoners in your dungeon in the first place, Mrs. Malfoy?" the Chief Warlock barked at her.

Narcissa gave him her best Malfoy glare. "Not that _I_ am on trial, _Mister_ Doge, but the prisoners were captured by other Death Eaters and brought to the Manor while Voldemort was there. My son had nothing to do with the capture of any of them. In fact, he refused to identify Mr. Potter when he was brought there, to prevent the Dark Lord from being summoned back to the house."

"So what we've proven is that Draco Malfoy did the Dark Lord's bidding while that was the expedient thing for him to do." The Chief Warlock sneered at Draco. "And then when it became apparent that Voldemort's side was losing, he conveniently switched alliances and partnered himself with Dumbledore's Army. Mr. Potter, if you've nothing else, I've heard quite enough."

So this was it. Draco looked at Neville. Time for him to keep that promise.


	9. The Trial Part 2

Sighing, Draco turned to face Harry. Mentally he started to rehearse his speech.

_I know you gave it everything you had, but there are some things even The Chosen One can't do..._

Harry suddenly smiled at him and Draco swore he could almost see a light bulb go on above his head like in the muggle cartoon he had once seen.

"Your Honor," Harry turned to face the council. "I request permission to move the proceedings to Hogwarts."

"Why, Mr. Potter?" Doge looked supremely annoyed.

"Because I wish to call Myrtle Weatherbee as my next witness."

It's official. Potter has lost his fucking mind.

The Chief Warlock pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before looking at them. "And, why, may I ask, can this Myrtle Weatherbee not come here, like everyone else?"

Harry grinned like the nutter he was. "Because she can't leave the castle. You see, Sir, she's a ghost."

The uproar in the courtroom was instantaneous. Everyone was talking, the Weasel loudest of them all "Moaning Myrtle? Are you bloody mental?"

"Quiet! Quiet!" Doge shouted. No one was listening. He conjured a gavel and banged it loudly on the podium. "I said be silent and I am the Chief Warlock!"

"Mr. Malfoy," a frizzy haired witch in the third row addressed him. "Does this ghost have relevant information to the crimes of which you are accused?"

Aw, hell. Might as well go with it. A nice padded room at St Mungo's is better than Azkaban. "Yes, actually. I confided in her quite a bit during the year I was ordered to kill Professor Dumbledore." Yeah, get that word "ordered" in there.

"There is no precedence for moving proceedings from the Ministry building or for accepting testimony from a ghost..." Doge began, but Granger jumped in.

"Actually, yes there is, Sir. With all due respect, during Julius Peverell's trial for murdering his sister in law in 1263, the court did go to his home to interview the victim, who was a ghost."

Figures. Only Hermione Granger would know that. But for once, Draco didn't mind the fact she knew every bloody answer.

The Chief Warlock's face was almost purple. "But that is a different case. They were going to interview the victim, not a bloody house ghost who just happened to be lurking around!"

An elderly wizard in the panel spoke. "I don't see the difference - questioning a human who just happened to be around, or questioning a ghost who just happened to be around. A witness is a witness."

There was much murmuring and nodding among the Wizengamot. Draco clenched his teeth to keep from smiling. Granger might be the brains of The Golden Trio, but apparently Potter had some brilliant moments of his own.

After a few minutes of furious whispering among the jurists, the Chief Warlock finally announced. "Fine. We will now dismiss for lunch. At 2:00pm, we will reconvene at Hogwarts, where Mr. Potter?"

"Second floor girls' lavatory, Sir."

"Outside the second floor girls' lavatory. And Mr. Potter, this had better be worth the trouble."

* * *

><p>Scary Weasley, Shacklebolt, and Neville escorted Draco back to the Minister's office while Mr. Weasley and Potter went to find lunch for everyone. They scarcely made it back inside before there was a frantic knocking on the door. Shacklebolt held his wand at the ready, motioning for Neville to do the same, before nodding for Weasley to open the door.<p>

He couldn't see who was there, but he could hear her voice.

"Please let me see my son."

Oh boy, here we go.

Shacklebolt said "Her alone."

Weasley stepped back to let her in. She rushed to Draco's side, taking his face in both of her hands.

"Oh, my baby! What have they done to you?" she looked coldly at the Minister. "He looks awful Have you not fed him?"

"Madam, he's been in Azkaban, and I've had nothing to do with whether he's been fed." the man held his hands up.

"Well as _the Minister_, maybe you should look into whether Azkaban feeds their prisoners. And allowing them a shave and hair trim wouldn't kill anyone." Draco reached up and took her hand before she sank her nails into Shacklebolt's face.

"Mother, really, I'm fine."

She turned back to him. "Oh Draco, you've lost so much weight and I can tell you're not sleeping."

"Mother..." he rolled his eyes.

Fortunately at that moment, Potter and Mr. Weasley returned with bags of sandwiches and cauldrons of soup. Scary Weasley let them in, and continued to hold the door open. "Mrs. Malfoy."

Narcissa hugged Draco, tears in her eyes. "I love you Draco. With all my heart. I will see you tonight."

"I love you too Mother," he choked as he bit his lip to keep from crying.

Neville flicked his wand to pull up chairs all around the huge oak desk. Shacklebolt disabled the floo connection so they wouldn't be disturbed. Mr. Weasley spooned soup into bowls while Harry unwrapped the sandwiches. Neville discreetly put the bowl with the most soup and two sandwiches in front of Draco, who forced himself to eat with manners fitting a Malfoy.

He looked up for find the Minister studying him. "So, Mr. Malfoy, have you been getting enough to eat in Azkaban? Because your mother is right, you have lost a good deal of weight."

Draco stared into his soup, not sure if he was being led into some sort of trap. "It's not as much as I'm used to, Sir." he forced himself to smile nonchalantly. "You know, growing boy and all that."

The Minister wasn't finished. "And you do have dark circles under your eyes. Why are you not sleeping?"

Draco paused, certain now that he was being led into saying something that would be used against him. He looked up to find all of them staring at him, Mr. Weasley with his spoon halfway to his mouth.

"It's ok son, we're just concerned that there may be something going on over there that the Ministry needs to know about." the redheaded man said reassuringly.

Draco sighed. "The sleeping, well, there's a lot of screaming and other sounds that go on there. And even if you can get past those, in my case at least, there are the nightmares."

Five other men nodded and resumed eating.

"Yeah, I know about the nightmares," Scary Weasley said softly, staring into his soup.

Mr. Weasley pushed another sandwich in front of Draco.

* * *

><p>Most of the Wizengamot and witnesses were taking the floo network to Hogwarts, so Shacklebolt decided that it would be better for their group to apparate. This time he and Potter were going first, with Neville and Draco in between, and the two Weasleys last.<p>

Draco looked at his apparation partner with as much lightheartedness as he could manage. "So help me Neville, if you splinch me..."

Neville grinned at him. "You'll what? Because you'll be the one splinched, and if you threaten me too much, I just won't fix you."

Scary Weasley held his hand out to Neville for a fist bump.

"Say, was that a muggle custom?" Mr. Weasley began.

Neville grabbed Draco and apparated immediately.

When they materialized outside Hogwarts, Draco's knees gave and he would have fallen if Neville hadn't caught him. Shacklebolt instantly had his wand pointed at them, suspecting a trick

"Draco, bloody hell, are you splinched?" Neville's voice sounded far away.

"No," he gasped out. "I wasn't feeling well earlier and apparating did a number on me."

He didn't realize the Weasleys had arrived until Mr. Weasley was helping him to sit on the grass, instructing him to put his head between his knees.

"Arthur, caution!" the Minister barked.

"Kingsley, after seven children, I know when a boy is about to throw up."

They waited for a few moments until Draco said he was feeling better. The group made their way to the castle slowly, and just as they reached the front gates, Draco did in fact throw up. Scary Weasley transfigured something from his pocket into a cup and filled it with a quick Aguamenti so Draco could rinse his mouth. Damn, he might turn out to be human after all.

Once they reached the second floor halfway, Draco was thinking through the whole concept of Myrtle as a witness, and realized they had a bigger problem.

"Harry," he called Potter over. "Myrtle is not going to take kindly to all these people invading her bathroom. I need to talk to her before she floods the place and pisses off 50 or so members of the Wizengamot."

Shacklebolt nodded. "I'll go talk to Doge."

After what was obviously a tense argument between the Minister and the Chief Warlock, Shacklebolt returned. "Ok, you have two minutes to warn her. And you don't go in alone."

"I'll go with him," Harry offered quickly. "Myrtle knows me."

They entered the bathroom, and almost immediately Myrtle's head appeared above the stall.

"Draco!" she squealed, rushing out to hover in front of him.

"Hello, Myrtle," he said weakly.

Myrtle then spied the other person in the room. "What are you doing here, Harry Potter? Did you come to cast your horrible spells on poor Draco again?" Myrtle looked back at Draco. "Draco, you're sick!" she whirled back to face Harry. "Did you do that to him?"

Draco held up a hand toward her. "No, Myrtle, he's trying to help me." he leaned against the nearest sink. "I need you to help me too."

Myrtle moved between them, laying her head against Draco's shoulder. "Of course, Draco. I would do anything for you. But not for Potter!" she looked over her shoulder angrily.

"There are a bunch of people out there," he pointed at the door. "Who don't believe I was being bullied and forced to do the things I did two years ago. I need you to tell them the truth so they don't send me away to prison."

"Why should they listen to me?" she shrieked. "No one listens to me. They only make fun of me!" she fled to her stall and slammed the door.

"They will listen to you, Myrtle," Draco called to her. "That's why they're here. They came to hear what you had to say. You're very important to this case."

"Really?" she opened the door and peeked out. "I am important?"

"Absolutely," Harry agreed.

"Very well then. I shall be honored to speak with them."

Harry turned to open the door. He paused, looking critically at Draco. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Harry. Why?"

"Well, first of all, you're more pale than I've ever seen you. Second, you're holding on to that sink like your life depends on it. Third, you're sweating, even though it's somewhat cool in here. And that's twice you've called me Harry, instead of Potter."

Draco forced a smile. "I don't feel very well. But I'd rather get this over with than worry about it right now."

Harry nodded, and opened the bathroom door. By that time, it had been established that fifty people simply could not fit in the second floor girls' lavatory, and opening the Chamber of Secrets to create more room (Ron Weasley's idea) had been ruled out. The plan was now that the twenty highest ranking Wizengamot members and the official scribe would actually enter the bathroom, and the others as well as the witnesses and gallery members would listen in the hallway, courtesy of a set of Extendable Ears George Weasley had hooked up to some sort of speaker device.

"Hello," Myrtle greeted the group. "Welcome to my bathroom."

"Oh, yes, very well then. Mr. Scribe, please swear her in." Doge instructed.

The obviously bored scribe led Myrtle through the pledge to tell the truth, which she repeated dutifully.

"Now Miss Weatherbee," the frizzy haired witch from the third row began.

"How did you know my last name?" Myrtle asked.

"Mr. Potter told us," the witch seemed taken aback by Myrtle's question.

"Oh. Thank you, Harry." Myrtle smiled at him. Draco wondered if the rest of the ghosts were bipolar too. "You may continue now, ma'am."

"As I was saying, Miss Weatherbee, the question is whether Mr. Malfoy participated in Death Eater crimes willingly or under coercion. Could you please tell us what you know of the subject?"

"Draco was very upset the school year before this last one. He used to come in here and talk to me. He was a dreadful sight, so sad all the time. There was someone forcing him to do things he didn't want to do. He was bullied by this man, and the man had moved into Draco's home, with his parents, so that Draco was afraid to go home, but afraid of what this man who do to his parents if he didn't go home. Poor Draco was terrified of what would happen to his mother if he didn't do what this man wanted. I asked him if he had spoken with the headmaster, but he said no one could help him. And even if he thought they could, he would be afraid to involve anyone else, afraid of what this bully would do to them. Possibly even kill them. He couldn't kill me of course, because I'm already dead."

The Wizengamot members were looking at one another and nodding.

The Chief Warlock still looked unconvinced. "Isn't it possible, Miss Weatherbee, that Mr. Malfoy was using you, and that he was dishonest in the things he supposedly confided in you?"

Anger flashed in Myrtle's eyes, but she quickly controlled it. "No sir. I know what it's like to live in fear, being bullied. Mr. Malfoy was most sincere in his distress." She folded her arms and looked at Doge as if she dared him to disagree with her.

The frizzy haired witch turned to Doge. "I've heard enough to make my decision. Shall we poll the jurists?"

Draco looked at Harry and smiled. Un-fucking-believable. They may have just pulled this one out of the hat.

The witch's question, meanwhile, had touched off another debate, as The Chief Warlock suddenly decided that if the panel were polled publicly, some may be cast a Not Guilty vote, although they felt the defendent was guilty, due to fear of reprisals. On the other hand, if the jurist declared Mr. Malfoy guilty, any Death Eaters still at large may pursue the Wizengamot members for retribution. Finally Professor McGonagall suggested having all of the council write their verdict on parchment, and have them counted by a person not involved in the proceedings. This seemed the best idea to everyone, so McGonagall asked them to come to the Great Hall, while the house elves fetched parchment and quills for the Wizengamot members. She dispatched the three Weasley brothers present to find Hagrid so he could count the votes.

Draco and Harry were among the last to leave the lavatory and head downstairs.

"Thank you Myrtle," Draco smiled at her.

"Oh I was glad to help Draco. So if they're not sending you away to prison, maybe you can come back to Hogwarts next year. You could be Head Boy and I could come visit you in your private bathroom." she smiled and ran her hand down Draco's chest.

He jumped backwards as her hand reached his waist. "Um, yeah Myrtle. I don't think I'll make Head Boy after everything that's gone on, but I will come back to see you."

She turned and headed to her stall, looking back and waving flirtatiously over her shoulder. Harry pulled Draco out into the hallway.

As soon as the door closed, Harry leaned in and whispered "Yeah, she creeped me out with that too."

* * *

><p>Harry and Neville were supposed to be escorting Draco downstairs, but by the time they reached the Great Hall, the two of them were supporting more of Draco's weight than he was. They exchanged worried looks over his head. Mr. Weasley asked a house elf to find Mr. Malfoy something to eat.<p>

A plate of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and green peas appeared before him. As tempting as it looked and smelled, Draco's stomach revolted and he pushed the plate away. "Thank you, but I just can't right now. Too many nerves." he told the older man.

Mr. Weasley nodded. "That's fine. I'll cast a warming charm, and in a few minutes, after the verdict, you can eat it then."

After a half hour that seemed like days, the Chief Warlock returned to the Great Hall, along with McGonagall, Shacklebolt, and Hagrid. None of them were smiling. Then again, McGonagall and Shacklebolt didn't usually smile.

Doge stood at the headmaster's podium, and Draco felt a tightness in his chest seeing someone else there instead of Dumbledore.

"Mr. Malfoy, will you please rise?" The Chief Warlock looked at him pointedly. "It is my duty, as the Chief Warlock of this court, to inform you that a verdict has been reached. By majority decision, you have been found not guilty of any and all crimes against the wizarding community."

"By a verdict of 49 to one," McGonagall added, and Draco must be feeling poorly, because he swore the old woman winked at him.

Someone near the back of the room whooped. Neville, of course. People were clapping him on the back and shaking his hand.

Draco turned to look at Harry. The words he had planned just seemed so inadequate. "Harry, I..." Draco shook his head. "I owe you everything." He looked at the floor, willing himself not to fucking cry in front of Harry Potter.

He felt hands on his shoulders. "Draco," Harry said softly, and waited until he made eye contact. "You saved Ginny. She is my everything."

Then Harry was hugging him and a moment later Neville's arms were around both of them. Draco was laughing and crying and the room was spinning and everything was going black around the edges. He pulled back. His mother was coming toward him, and Luna behind her, but his vision was fading. He heard his mother scream his name. His last thought was that he hoped Neville and Harry caught him before he hit the floor.


	10. Feverish Delusions

She was there. His eyes were so heavy he couldn't open them, but he knew she was there, that it was her tiny hand holding his. He tried to squeeze her hand, not sure if she felt it. Her other hand reached up to brush his face.

"They're going to make me leave, Draco. Madam Pomfrey is not sure what is wrong with you yet and she is afraid you could be contagious. I don't think you're contagious, I think you just need a lot of chicken soup. Take care of yourself, because we need you."

She laid his hand down by his side. No. No, Luna come back. He wanted to reach for her, hell, he wanted to open his eyes and see her, but the darkness was dragging him back

* * *

><p>It was so hot.<p>

A cool hand touched his forehead and then jerked back.

"Poppy! This child is burning up!"

"About three more minutes before it's time for his next round of potions. I tell you, if they had left the poor fellow in Azkaban another day or two, he would have died."

There was the faint sound of the floo network connecting in another room and his father's voice calling "Madam Pomfrey!"

A sigh. "Minerva, would you please get that? His parents are calling on the floo every five minutes. Let them know there's no change."

"They should be here. I know Arthur and Kingsley are working on it. House arrest or no house arrest..." her voice trailed off.

Someone was rubbing his face and chest with a cool cloth. That felt so good.

* * *

><p>She was here. Aw, hell they didn't give him any more of Potter's potion, did they? She was crowded against his side in the narrow cot, head on his shoulder, like that night in Azkaban. She kissed his nose. Her hand, instead of resting on his heart this time, was holding his, fingers intertwined. His other hand rested on her hip.<p>

"I'm so glad you're better, Draco," she whispered. "I'm going to need you around."

It took every bit of strength he had, but he rolled onto his side and snuggled her against his chest, arms around her, tucking her head under his chin. He wished he had enough strength to carry this a little farther, because damn, Dream Luna had nice breasts.

"I love you Luna," he whispered.

He could feel her smile. "Of course you do."

* * *

><p>"Hey mate," Neville, of course. "It seems rather crazy to be talking to you when you're out cold, but Madam Pomfrey said you might could hear us. We just wanted to let you know we were here, checking on you and all."<p>

"Yeah, you gave us quite a fright, going down like that," Potter's voice said. "But at least you were here at Hogwarts where there's a hospital facility and not in Azkaban."

"Well, um, ok then," Neville spoke again. "We'll just be going now, and we'll check back in on you later."

He heard their footsteps walk away, and realized that Granger was speaking rather loudly to someone in the background.

"...see the shape he's in? Starved, dehydrated, eaten up with infection? He nearly died in Azkaban, and he was not guilty!"

"Hermione, why do you care? This is bloody Malfoy we're talking about!" The Weasel whined.

"Ronald, if I didn't want to see house elves suffer, do you think I want to see human beings treated like that, no matter who they are?"

* * *

><p>He woke, not sure where or when he was. White. Lots of white. The hospital wing at Hogwarts. He heard soft snoring and looked to the side. His father was asleep on the next cot. He looked over to the other side, where his mother slept.<p>

Something on the table by the bed caught his eye. A piece of parchment, folded into the shape of a three dimensional bird. He reached for it, but managed to knock a glass of water off the table instead.

Both of his parents sprung out of bed instantly and talked over one another.

"Son! You're awake! What do you need?"

"Draco, oh I love you baby! I've been so worried."

His mother sat on the edge of his cot and stroked his hair while his father went to find Madam Pomfrey.

"Oh, my baby."

"What happened?" his voice sounded strange, hoarse.

"How did you get that wound on your leg?" his mother asked.

No point in lying to her now. "It was cut on the shackles, the first night they brought me to Azkaban."

"The wound had gotten infected. The infection had gone into your bloodstream and spread through your system. And apparently it had been bleeding a good bit, because Madam Pomfrey said you were quite anemic. You've been unconcious for four days."

Madam Pomfrey bustled into the room. "Oh good." she felt his forehead. "No fever now. How do you feel Mr. Malfoy?"

He thought for a minute. "Tired. Weak."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "That's to be expected. I'm going to bring some broth and some more Blood Replenishing Potion. Not too much of the broth right now, just a little every few hours. I know you're probably hungry but too much and it will just come right back."

His father grabbed the pillows from the other cots to prop him up while his mother fed him the broth. This was too freaking much. He took the utensil from her, but the first spoonful he tried to get for himself ended up on the blanket.

"Fuck," he muttered, then looked up at his mother. "Oops. Sorry."

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "You are so like your father sometimes."

Draco grudgingly gave the spoon back and let his mother finish feeding him. He looked at them, truly looked at them, and realized his father hadn't shaved and his mother was wearing absolutely no makeup.

"I'm going back to sleep now," he told them, faking heavy eyelids. "Why don't you two go wash up and get yourselves something to eat?"

"Are you sure, son? We're not going anywhere if you need us. Arthur Weasley made arrangements with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for us to remain here as long as you aren't well enough to come home." Lucius appeared to be checking him over for signs of distress.

"Arthur Weasley? I thought you two had hated each other since you were children." Draco asked, faking a yawn for good measure.

"He and I, shall we say, have found common ground on the subject of our families." his father looked somewhat embarassed.

"Really. I'm going back to sleep. There won't be much of anything you can do for me for a few hours."

His parents reluctantly agreed, making sure a bell was left within his reach so he could summon Madam Pomfrey and she could in turn summon them should he need anything. They fussed over him a little more, both kissing his forehead before they finally left.

Once they were out of sight, he reached again for the parchment bird. This time he managed to grab it. He turned it over in his hands. There were no markings on it, but it was very carefully and intricately folded.

There was a sharp crack in the background, as if someone had apparated. Odd, must be one of the house elves.

"Hello, Draco."

He nearly dropped the paper bird. Luna. Not now. He must look even worse than when they first dragged him out of Azkaban. At least he had tried to comb his hair then. Who knew what it must look like now.

He looked up to find her smiling in the doorway. She wore a white top and those muggle pants, (jeans, was that what Pansy called them?) with a daisy in her hair and of course, no shoes. She walked so gracefully she might as well have been floating.

"You like the crane." it wasn't a question, the way she said it.

"I've never seen anything like it," he answered, looking at it again.

"It's an origami crane. Muggles believe if you make a thousand of them, it will cure you of illness. But you didn't need a thousand. You only needed one. And I charmed it to let me know when you were awake."

"You made this?" he asked, gently placing it back on the table.

"Of course," she answered, sitting on the edge of his cot.

He had never seen her look more beautiful. She almost glowed, even in this room where everything was so glaringly white that most things looked dingy.

"I'm glad you're awake," she said softly, holding his hand. "I brought you a tonic. It will help to get your strength back."

He looked at the vial of green liquid she placed on the table beside the crane. "What is it?"

"Oh, green tea, cucumber, and thistleflit nectar."

"What is a thistleflit?" he knew he shouldn't ask, but he loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked about her imaginary creatures.

"They're tiny flying things that live in fallen logs. They make a nectar, much like bees make honey." she gave him the I've Got a Secret smile.

"Were you worried about me?" he should not ask that. He totally should not ask that.

"No."

See? Draco, you're an idiot.

His face must have shown his disappointment because she laughed softly.

"No, I wasn't worried about you because I knew you were going to be fine."

"Well that makes one of us," he drawled.

She leaned over and kissed his nose. "One of these days you're just going to have to learn to trust me. I know things"

"Luna, there won't be more days. There is no future for us." he hated saying the words, but he knew he had to.

"But you love me," she whispered, not upset in the slightest.

"I can't love you," he growled. "Everyone in my life gets hurt. I refuse to allow you to become a statistic."

"I'm here, and aware of the fact I could get hurt. I'm trusting you not to do so, after all that you've done to protect me." the smile started to slip from her face.

"That's why I'm hurting you now. Because it's a small hurt now. But if I allow this to continue, you'll be destroyed in the end, and I won't let that happen."

"You definitely need more chicken soup. Your head is full of bandenbruits."

"Chicken soup will not save the fucking world, Luna! Don't you understand? There is no future for us! I'm sorry. I should have thought about this before what happened in the cabin, but I was too selfish." he couldn't look at her. She was going to cry, and it would kill him.

"Do you want me to leave?" she asked softly.

"Yes, Luna, I think you should leave." he ground out, still refusing to look at her.

"Fine, Draco, I will go now because that's what you think you want. I won't come back. But I will wait for you to come to me." she stood, and he still refused to look at her.

"Luna, please," he sighed. "Go on with your life. Find someone who deserves you. Don't wait for me to come. I'm not going to."

"Yes, you will," she said softly.

He heard her footsteps moving away but he still didn't turn to look because he didn't want her to see the tears in his eyes.

"Oh, hello, Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," he heard her say.

"Hello Luna, it's good to see you again, dear. You look wonderful."

Why did his mother always have to be so fucking polite?

"Are you leaving already?" his father asked. "I do hope you're not cutting your visit short because of us."

"No, it was time for me to leave," she answered, no trace of hurt in her voice. "I will see you soon."

A moment later there was a apparation crack again.

By the time his parents reached his bedside, he had composed himself.

"That Luna is a lovely young lady. And pureblood, too." his father looked at him expectantly.

Draco snorted. "I do NOT have a future with Luna Lovegood."

His mother narrowed her eyes and looked in the direction Luna had left. "Are you sure about that, Draco? Because I swear that girl looks..."

"MOTHER!" he almost shouted. "This subject is closed. I will not talk about it further."

Madam Pomfrey came in at that moment, effectively cutting off any argument on Narcissa's part.

"Here you go, dear. Time for your afternoon potions."

"Madam Pomfrey," he wondered aloud. "Why are the house elves apparating in and out up here?"

She reached over and felt him for a fever. "The house elves aren't even in the castle today, dear. Are you seeing house elves?" She looked a bit worried.

"No, I thought I heard them, but maybe I was dreaming." What the hell?

"Yes, I'm sure that must have been it. Being ill can give you absolutely mad dreams." she gathered up the empty vials and bustled back to wherever she came from.

* * *

><p>By morning, he was no closer to an answer. Growling, he scrawled out a parchment.<p>

_Luna,_

_What was that? People cannot apparate and disapparate into and out of Hogwarts!_

_Draco_

He asked his father to send the message by owl post. His father's eyes lit up when he saw the addressee, but he didn't say anything.

An hour later, her reply came by return owl.

_I can._


	11. NEWTs, Nargles, and Nosy Parents

Professor McGonagall walked in with a stack of textbooks, which she deposited on the table next to the bed.

"Mr. Malfoy," she began. "Due to the unfortunate disruption of the end of the school year, the Hogwarts professors will be at the school the week of August 1 to administer the NEWT exams to Miss Granger and any other students who wish to take them. Now despite the facade you show to your friends, we both know that you have an exceptionally keen mind, and it would be most tragic to waste that intelligence. Madam Pomfrey informs me that you will be here for at least two more days, so I have taken the liberty of bringing you study material."

Draco opened his mouth to complain, but closed it again and reached for the Potions book, because honestly, he was bored beyond words.

Neville dropped by that afternoon. He didn't have a real reason, but he spent two hours chattering to Draco about what everyone was up to. Weasel and Granger had broken up twice in the past week. Weaselette had been offered a contract with a professional Quidditch team, but she wanted to return for her last year of school first. Harry had transfigured himself into a lampost so effectively during Auror training that he had fooled a dog looking for a place to relieve itself. George was going to re-open the joke shop. Mr. Weasley had bought a muggle record player in an antique shop, but when he tried to enchant it to work, the machine spun while the records remained still. Hannah wasn't taking the job in Hogsmeade after all, but was going to stay in London with Neville while he worked on his Auror training. His grandmother had started dropping broad hints about how she was getting old, and it would set her spirit at ease to see Neville settled down before she departed this life. And she had begun bringing up her friends' grandchildren on a daily basis. Hannah had pointedly told the old woman to get a pet.

If anyone had told Draco Malfoy three months ago that he would have even wanted to hear about what was going on these people's lives, he would have personally escorted them to St. Mungo's.

Neville didn't mention Luna. Draco didn't ask. But he really, really wanted to.

Narcissa did. Later that evening, she asked "Did Neville mention how Luna is doing?"

"No, Mother," he answered coldly. "I told you the subject is closed. There is no future with Luna and me."

"If you say so," his mother turned back to her book. "I just expected some news of her."

The next morning Draco was determined he was going to take a bath. However, as soon as he set foot out of bed, he quickly realized that two months in Azkaban and six days in a hospital bed did not exactly leave one in a condition to walk to the bathroom unassisted. Having to allow his father to assist him into the washroom did not help his mood, which had been sour since Luna's visit. He hadn't told his parents what had happened, and they hadn't asked, but he had noticed his mother looking at him speculatively several times.

Thankfully his father had just run the water and left Draco sitting on the side of the bathtub. He slipped off his robe and boxers and slid into the water. He leaned back, closing his eyes, content in soaking in the hot water and feeling clean, after living in the filth of Azkaban.

"Helloooo, Draco," a voice cooed.

His eyes flew open to see someone hovering almost face to face with him.

"Myrtle! Oh shit, what are you doing here?" He scrambled for a washcloth to cover the things he didn't want her to see.

"I heard you were still in the castle. Peeves told me that you fainted in the Great Hall and they had brought you up here. I've just been waiting for you to come to the bathroom." she practically purred, reaching out to touch his cheek.

He pushed her hand away. "Bloody hell, Myrtle. My parents are right outside the door! Can you give me a little while and come back when I have clothes on?"

She flew up toward the ceiling before circling around the room and coming back to hover over him angrily. "Oh, so now that I told those people what you wanted me to, you're ashamed of me? You don't want me around where other people might see us together?"

"No, Myrtle, of course not," he reassured her. "It's just that my parents are very proper and old fashioned, and I wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea about you, if they were to come in here and find us together. I certainly wouldn't want anyone to think you're a tramp."

"Oh Draco, you're so sweet. I knew you weren't like the others the first time you came to my bathroom." she blew him a kiss. "I'll be back later."

She flew up the faucet and disappeared.

Draco decided he was not ever going in another bathroom at Hogwarts.

When he finished the bath, his father had to help him back to the bed. He laid there for over an hour, completely exhausted from the exertion. His parents asked if he would be ok for a little while, they had some things they needed to do, and Madam Pomfrey had gone into Hogsmeade to pick up potion supplies. After many assurances that he would, they finally left. Reaching for a book, he happened to spot the vial Luna had left. Figuring what the hell did he have to lose, he drank it.

It did taste pretty much like a sweet cucumber tea, and it tingled a little going down. But it wasn't a bad feeling, and there was no indication of it making him sick.

He studied a little in Charms before he heard the floo connection engage in the other room.

"Hello, Madam Pomfrey?" Harry's voice.

Draco sat up on the side of the bed. No footsteps. His parents must not be back. He pushed himself off the bed experimentally, and did not immediately experience the lightheadedness he had earlier.

"Hello?" the voice called from the fireplace again.

He walked into the next room, apparently Madam Pomfrey's office.

"Hi Harry."

"Draco, oh I wasn't expecting you to answer. I was just checking in to see how you're feeling."

"Much better, thanks. I'm hoping to be able to go home tomorrow or the next day."

"That's great!" Harry said enthusiastically.

"Ronald Weasley, when I get my hands on you..." a female voice behind Harry screamed.

"Um, Draco, sorry, but I'd better go."

Draco laughed. "Yeah, go save his sorry hide. Again."

"I'll talk to you soon," Harry called, signing off.

Draco walked back to the bed and sat on the side. He still felt weak and drained, but much, much better than he had before taking the potion. He picked up the origami crane. Maybe Luna should tutor Potter in Potions.

Two hours later, an owl arrived with a package addressed to Draco. Inside were five more vials of Luna's green tonic. There was no note.

The next day and two more vials of tonic later, Madam Pomfrey declared Draco well enough to go home. He was somewhat torn about the whole situation, because as much as he really wanted to go home, he knew that his parents would have to return to house arrest when he did. Lucius and Narcissa assured him that they were perfectly fine with being confined to the Manor, as long as he was there.

The next two and a half weeks passed in a blur, with Draco studying for the NEWT exams. Neville came by several times. Harry came by once. Apparently Weasel had survived to irritate people another day. No one mentioned Luna, and Draco still didn't ask.

Once again, his mother did. Two days before they were to report to Hogwarts, Neville came for dinner.

"So Neville," Narcissa said casually. "Have you seen Luna?"

Draco nearly spit roast pheasant all over the table.

"No ma'am," Neville answered, glancing at Draco. "We've owled a few times. She's barely even been to see the Weasleys, and they live just over the hill from one another. She's been busy helping her father get ready for his next expedition. He's going to the Amazon Rain Forest once she's back at school, looking for, um, I don't remember the name, but some creature no one's ever heard of. He's promised to send me plant samples, as some plants that are common there are almost impossible to get here." and Neville was off talking about his greenhouse, which was an actually an interest he and Narcissa shared. She loved Herbology.

Later as Draco walked him to the fireplace in the study so he take the floo, Neville looked at him. "Still too stubborn to go to her, huh?"

Draco sighed and shoved his hand through his hair. "Neville, we've been through this before. It would never work out. My world is too dark for her."

"Draco, seriously. The Death Eaters are gone. There is no Dark Lord plotting to take over the world in your drawing room. There are no crazy women laughing while they torture people over breakfast. There are no evil wizards patrolling the grounds and no prisoners in the dungeons and no Dark Mark in the sky over the Manor. Normal life is back. The darkness only exists in your nightmares."

"It's crazy," Draco said softly, staring into the empty fireplace. When I was in Azkaban, I dreamed more about Luna than I did the other things. That's the only thing that kept me sane in that place. Now that I'm home, I dream about Voldemort and the Death Eaters and the war. I haven't dreamed about Luna since one night in the hospital, actually before she came to see me."

"It's Survivor's Guilt. So many of my friends dead, why I am alive and in love with Hannah?" Neville shook his head and stepped into the fireplace. "Stop beating yourself up over it, because there's nothing we can do to change it. We owe it to the ones who died to keep on living. Don't wait until it's too late to tell Luna how you feel, because we know that there's no telling what tomorrow will bring."

Draco stared into the fireplace long after Neville was gone.

Apparently, there weren't enough students coming to Hogwarts for the special exam session to run the Express, so Draco took the floo to McGonagall's office. He thought about apparating, but as he still wasn't completely recovered, he didn't want to chance any repeats of his last apparation to Hogwarts. That did make him think of something, however, which he asked the Headmistress as soon as he arrived.

"Professor, is there still a ban on apparation at Hogwarts, or is anyone allowed to do so?"

"The ban is for the safety of the students, Mr. Malfoy. The only two people who are allowed through the Anti-Apparation Jinx are the headmaster of the school and the Minister of Magic."

Draco knew that wasn't true, but he didn't want to open that particular can of worms with her right now.

She directed him to her classroom to wait until the others arrived. Granger was already there, of course, nose in a book. Neville was there as well. He had told Draco early on that he was only going to attempt the NEWTs in Herbology and DADA, but McGonagall had encouraged him to take the Transfiguration exam as well. She believed that his success in the Battle of Hogwarts would give him the courage that she had previously felt his work lacked.

Neville was eating something. "Dirigible plums," he gestured a box on the front table. "Luna sent them. She said they open your mind and allow you to see things you would have otherwise overlooked, which would be helpful when taking exams."

Draco picked up a plum and looked it over carefully before taking a bite. They tasted pretty much like any other plum. He selected two more out of the box and sat back down next to Neville.

The Patil twins joined them a few minutes later, and finally McGonagall came in with the last student, that Boot guy from Ravenclaw. The Minister of Magic had agreed to let Harry, Ron, and Neville pursue Auror training without taking the NEWTs, so Ron and Harry weren't going to even attempt the tests.

Transfiguration was first, as that was the only exam that all of them were taking. Draco and Hermione were each going to take five NEWTs, while the other students were each only attempting two or three.

McGonagall placed a face down parchment and an Anti-Cheating Quill in front of each student and returned to her desk. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the quill in the holder on her desk moved. There was something touching it. Something that looked almost like a butterfly from where Draco sat, with very pale translucent wings. He looked over at Neville, who was looking at the professor's desk with wide eyes. As they watched, the thing pulled the quill out of its holder and started to move across the desktop with it. McGonagall took the quill from the little whatever it was and placed it back in the holder.

"Did you see that?" Neville asked.

"What? A quill falling over?" Hermione spoke sharply, obviously on edge over the upcoming test.

"No," Draco said, a huge grin covering his face. "That was a fucking nargle!"

"Language, Mr. Malfoy!" the professor began, purely out of habit. "Ten points from...oh, nevermind."

A/N - Neville and Draco would like to give a big shoutout to **Alphadoggg**, the supermegafoxyawesomehottest reviewer ever. Muah!


	12. The Brightest Wizard of His Age

A/N - I lied. I realized we had one more little loose end to tie up before everyone finds out why the Wealseys are so upset with our dear Mr. Malfoy.

* * *

><p>Two days after returning from Hogwarts, Draco was in the garden, lazily throwing seeds to the peacocks, when McGonagall and Shacklebolt came to see him.<p>

His first thought was panic. Oh shit, the Ministry had come for him again. Then he realized there were only two of them, wands were not visible, and Shacklebolt was actually smiling.

"Mr. Malfoy," the headmistress addressed him. "I came to offer my congratulations. You made straight O's on all of your NEWTs. You will be our class valedictorian for this year."

Draco was dumbfounded."What? But Granger..."

"Made an Exceeds Expectations on her Potions exam," McGonagall smiled at him. "Graduation will be Friday evening at 6pm in the Great Hall. I shall see you then. Meanwhile I must go to the house to share the good news with your parents before returning to Hogwarts."

She turned and left them.

Shacklebolt was still smiling at him. He held out his hand. "I wish to offer my congratulations as well, Mr. Malfoy. There are very few students who make five Outstandings, and certainly not with everything you've been through the past few months."

"Thank you sir," Draco shook his hand, positive there was more to this meeting than just congratulating the valedictorian.

"And I would like to offer you a job," Bingo! "You've been highly recommended by several individuals to pursue Auror training. It would be an honor to have you join our program."

Draco looked at the ground for a moment before looking back at the Minister. "Sir, I'm honored that you've even asked me. But I don't think that being an Auror is for me. No offense, but I've had enough secrets and lies to last a lifetime."

The Minister nodded. "I can respect that answer, Mr. Malfoy. However, I am going to keep the offer open and would ask you to think about it. If you change your mind..."

"Thank you sir," Draco nodded as well.

By that time, his parents were running down the path toward him.

* * *

><p>Draco had to make fucking speech at the graduation. Unfortunately, it was expected of the valedictorian. He wrote a monologue of how he hoped the wizarding world would move forward in peace and unity for the future generations, which is exactly what everyone would want to hear. He put on his best Slytherin face and gave the performance everyone expected. He didn't show that it bothered him that the Weasel muttered all night long that he must have cheated to beat Hermione out as valedictorian. He pretended not to notice that the group in the Great Hall had segregated themselves, the Weasleys and Grangers in one corner, the Malfoys and Longbottoms in another, and everyone else, including Harry, in a third. He told himself that it was for the best that Luna didn't show.<p>

He almost believed it.


	13. The Revelation

Draco was putting on his cloak, getting ready to travel to Diagon Alley on his father's behalf, when the floo activated downstairs.

"Draco Malfoy!" Neville bellowed.

He was seriously pissed about something.

Entering the study, Draco found not only Neville, but also Harry and Ron. All three of them looked angrier than he had ever seen.

"Gentlemen," Draco drawled, slipping into his protective Slytherin smirk. "I take it we need to talk."

"Oh, we'll talk, all right!" the Weasel roared. "We'll have a nice chat over a pot of tea right after I hex your dick off!"

Neville grabbed Ron's wand and held it so that it pointed straight up at the ceiling.

His friend smiled with clenched teeth. "Yes, we most definitely do need to talk."

Draco wondered what in the hell was going on, but held onto his composure.

Harry looked at the other two. "Whatever is going on is between Draco and Luna..."

"Luna?" Draco was seriously confused. "I haven't seen her in months."

Ron let go of the wand Neville still held and lunged, connecting a fist with Malfoy's jaw. "Sorry spineless little prick!"

Harry and Neville grabbed Ron and held him back. "That probably was not the best thing to say." Harry announced grimly.

Neville looked Draco for a long moment. He seemed to make some kind of decision, and turned toward Harry. "Get Ron out of here and calm him down. I'll talk to Malfoy and see what the situation is."

Oh, so he was back to being Malfoy. Peachy.

Harry looked from Neville to Draco and back again. "Ok, but let me know if you need backup." He wrestled the protesting Weasel into the fireplace and flooed them to the Ministry.

Draco turned to Neville as soon as he was sure they were gone. "What the fuck, Longbottom?"

Neville took a deep breath before charging in. "Were you aware of the fact that Luna is about, oh, four months pregnant?"

Draco felt as if he'd been kicked in the chest. He couldn't even draw in air. "She's what?" he asked hoarsely.

"You heard me." Neville folded his arms.

No. This was just not possible.

"Are you sure?" Draco asked, forcing himself to try to breathe normally.

Neville rolled his eyes. "She looks like she's hiding a fucking pumpkin under her robes!"

Fuck. After everything he had done to protect her, in one moment, he had ruined her entire fucking life.

Draco sank down onto the loveseat and hid his face in his hands. Neville stood there awkwardly for a moment before sitting down beside him and putting his hand on his friend's back. They sat there for a moment before Draco raked his hands through his hair and then hung his head again, with the heels of his hands against his eyes.

"How did you find out?" he asked wearily.

"Well, it's September first. Harry and Ron were excused from Auror class today to go to the train to see Luna and Ginny off. I went along because I didn't have anything else to do, and it felt weird not to be getting ready to go back to school today. None of us had seen Luna in a month or so, and when we saw her today, well, there's a lot more of her than there used to be." he patted Draco's back before getting up to walk around aimlessly in front of the fireplace.

"She didn't tell me," Draco sounded completely defeated. "Apparently she didn't want me to know."

"Well after you threw her out of the hospital, told her there was no future..." Neville trailed off at the murderous look Draco gave him.

"Maybe she was afraid to tell you," Neville switched tactics. "Maybe she didn't want you to know. Maybe she's doing one of those mysterious girl things and testing you. There's only one way you're going to find out. You're going to have to go to her now."

Draco nodded, staring into space.

"Hey. I recognize that look. You're thinking about stuff too much and you're going to convince yourself of the worst possible scenario. Don't do this to yourself." Neville spoke gently.

Neville flicked his wand and turned one of the armchairs to face the loveseat. He sat down facing Draco and leaned forward so their heads were almost touching.

"You've got to figure out though," Neville continued. "What it is you want from the situation. Do you want to be involved in the child's life? Do you want Luna to be in your life?"

"I don't know!" now it Draco's turn to pace around the room. "I want her not to be in this position. I want to go back to being the person I was before I went rushing back into Hogwarts to find her."

Neville rolled his eyes. "No you don't. You hated that guy. He was miserable all the time."

"I know you and Harry are pretty close to Luna, and I can understand why the two of you are upset, but what business is it of the Weasel?" Draco paused for a moment to look at Neville.

"She and Ron have known each other since they were babies. The Weasleys helped raise her, you know, after the thing with her mother. The family has practically adopted her."

Oh great. The girl who changed is life is practically the sister of his worst enemy. Someone probably should have mentioned this little tidbit earlier.

Draco sat back down on the loveseat, resting his head against the back with his eyes closed. "I can't believe I was so stupid that I let this happen to her."

"Don't beat yourself up over it too much. It could have happened to any of us."

Draco opened one eye and looked at him, eyebrow raised.

"You weren't the only one to lose your virginity the day after the final battle," Neville smirked.

"I was _not_ a virgin," Draco insisted. And then added a soft "Barely."

Neville rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, my bad. I forgot about your being the Slytherin Sex God."

Draco snorted. "Whatever. Let's just say the tales of my carnal adventures were greatly exaggerated."

"So you did not actually have intimate encounters with the entire Beauxbatons delegation to the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Neville asked jokingly.

"Um, no," Draco said decisively, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"You did not have a threesome with Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet on the Quidditch Pitch?" Neville continued.

"Hell no!" Draco did laugh then. "Seriously? I hadn't heard that one."

"Oh yeah," Neville teased. "The stories get better from there."

"Honestly," Draco said and then paused. Neville nodded at him. "Do you remember Fifth Year right after Christmas, when Pansy slapped Daphne Greengrass in the argument in the Great Hall? Well, the next night Daphne got her revenge by getting me drunk and taking me to bed and spent the next two years throwing it in Pansy's face. Right before school got out a few months later, Madeline Fitzpatrick also got me drunk and slept with me, but in her case it was some kind of a bet. She even stole my boxers to prove she'd gone through with it. And now you know why I make it a point to run from any girl with firewhiskey."

"Seriously," Neville shook his head. "That is insane. For me, it's only been Hannah. And I'm a very lucky man." he smirked again.

"Excuse me while I go scourgefy my brain." Draco joked.

They lapsed into silence briefly before Draco spoke.

"Neville, you said something about the deal with Luna's mother earlier. What was that about?"

"You never knew about Luna's mother?" Neville seemed rather surprised.

"I know she's dead, but I never knew any details or anything."

"Oh, well she apparently experimented a lot, making new spells and the like. When Luna was nine, an experimental spell backfired, and her mother was killed. Her father was off looking for Crumple Horn Snorkacks at the time, so Luna stayed in the house alone with her mother's dead body for two days until she finally walked down the Weasleys to get help. Ever since, the Weasleys pretty much adopted her, and she would stay with them a lot when her father was off hunting snorkacks or heffalumps or whatever."

Draco nodded. Two days alone with a dead mother would probably be enough to make anyone act the way she did.

Neville stood. "I've got to get back to the Ministry before they come looking for me. I'll come back later to check on what's going on. But Draco, go to her."

"Yeah, I will." Draco was looking off into space again.

As soon as Neville left, his parents stormed the room. He wasn't at all surprised. Well, maybe he was. He was surprised that they had waited this long.

"Luna is expecting our grandchild," Narcissa stated.

Realization hit Draco like another invisible fist in the chest. "You already knew."

His mother shrugged. "I suspected at least."

Lucius looked at him pointedly. "Draco, are you sure the baby..."

The younger Malofy grabbed a handful of his father's shirt and hissed right into his face. "Don't even fucking finish that sentence."

Lucius shrugged. "I'm your father. I'm supposed to ask."

"So how are we going to handle this?" his mother asked.

"I have no idea," he shrugged. "I haven't gotten that far yet."

"You realize," Lucius informed him. "That there has not been a Malfoy born out of wedlock in the last 400 years. At least not any that anyone knows about."

Draco looked at his parents. "Well, I guess the next step is that I need to find her."

* * *

><p>AN - Luna is dancing around dreamily, singsonging "I told you he would come to me!"

Oh, wow! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed today. I'm totally blown away, and I'm so glad all of you are liking the story!


	14. Talking to Luna

McGonagall was rather surprised when Draco appeared in her fireplace.

"Mr. Malfoy," she said, eyes twinkling. "I realize it's the first day of school but did you forget that you've already graduated?"

Her smile faded at the serious expression on his face.

"No ma'am," he answered. "I've come to speak to Luna Lovegood."

"Oh dear," the headmistress put her hand over her heart. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes. No. I mean, no one is ill or dead or anything like that, I just need to speak to her." Draco wondered if it would be considered bad manners to start pacing. He desperately needed to do something with his nervous energy.

The older woman narrowed her eyes at him. "Are _you_ all right, Mr. Malfoy?"

The sound he made was something between a laugh and a snort. "I've been better."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

He looked at his former professor. Genuine concern reflected in her face. He sighed. "I wish there was. Actually I don't even know what I need."

She didn't answer, but opened one of the cupboards and got something. She turned back around and handed him a glass of brandy.

"Have a seat and tell me what's going on." she told him, the tone of her voice leaving no room for argument.

He obediently sat and took a sip of the drink. He stared at the glass in his hands, not meeting her eyes.

"Are you aware of Luna's condition?" he asked softly.

"No, I wasn't aware of… Oh. I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means."

"Yeah," he nodded, still looking into his glass. "It does."

"And I take it your appearance here means that you are the other party responsible for her "condition"?"

He took another sip of brandy. "Yeah. It does."

"Well. May I ask what your intentions are concerning the situation?" her voice was soft, encouraging, totally lacking in condemnation. Not in the slightest what he expected. Or deserved.

"I don't know," he finally looked at McGonagall, who was looking at him sympathetically. "I want to take care of her and the child. But she didn't even tell me. I don't know if she even wants me around."

She smiled at him gently. "I've seen the way she's looked at you for the past few years. Even though Luna is harder to read than most girls, it was very obvious that she held a special affection for you. I'm sure she had good reason for not telling you. I had thought you were oblivious to her until I saw the way you looked at her at your trial. If it wasn't apparent then, it certainly is now, that you care a great deal for her. I'm sure that once the two of you talk out whatever has happened between you, everything will turn out just fine."

"I wish I could be sure of that," Draco threw back the last of the brandy.

"Well dear, we shall have to wait for Luna to arrive to see how things will come about." she stood up and walked to the door. "Come along. My old office is uninhabited at the moment. You can wait there, and I'll have Hagrid send Luna along as soon as she is here."

The professor's old office was just down the hall, and still furnished with a desk and chairs, which she transfigured into a comfortable sofa and upholstered chairs with a flick of her wand. She drew back the curtains to let in the last of the early evening sunshine, and after again repeating that everything would be fine, returned to her preparations for the students' arrival.

Draco prowled around the room for several minutes, conjuring a fire for its soothing factor, not because he was chilled. He finally ended up at the window, staring unseeingly at the Whomping Willow.

"Hello Draco."

He turned to face her, holding his breath.

She stood in the door, dressed in her Hogwarts robes. Her hand rested lightly on the small bump at her waist. Her face was totally peaceful, and totally unreadable.

He looked at the bump. It suddenly dawned on him that no matter what happened in the next few minutes, whether she cut off any further contact with him or whether she married him, their lives were now forever bound together by the child they had created. The thought filled him with an emotion he couldn't classify – love, pride, joy, and awe all rolled into one.

It also terrified him more than Voldemort ever had.

"Did you come for me, or only for your son?" she asked softly.

He looked back into her eyes, which were still unreadable.

"I came for both of you," he answered honestly. "I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

"I'm not sorry," she took a step toward him. "It probably would have been better if I was finished with school already. But I'm already quite taken with him, and I haven't even met him yet." She rubbed her belly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he forced himself to ask the question that had haunted him all day.

"Because you weren't ready to hear it yet," she answered, wrinkling her brow as if the answer should have been completely obvious.

"Is your father very upset?" he took a step closer to her.

For the first time ever, Draco heard a bit of an edge creep into her voice. So little actually, that if it had been anyone but Luna, it wouldn't have even been noticeable. "My father is so wrapped up in his upcoming expedition to search for the scarlet winged warbling waldillas that he hasn't even noticed."

He had no idea how to respond to that. Her own father, who lived with her, hadn't even noticed?

When in doubt, dodge. "I'll come to speak with him, of course. He needs to know that I accept responsibility and will take care of you and our son."

She nodded, so he figured he must on the right track.

"And first thing tomorrow morning I'll go to Gringotts and transfer funds into your name..."

"Draco," she interrupted, with that ever so slight edge in her voice again. "You don't have to buy access to your child."

He looked confused for a moment. "Buy access? I just want to make sure if there is anything you or the baby need, you can get it immediately."

"Oh," her voiced softened. "That is most thoughtful of you." She took a step closer to him. "I do believe you'll make a very good father."

He took a step toward her as well. They were a little more than arm's length apart by now.

"I want to be a good father. I want to be a very big part of my son's life." he managed to say around the lump in his throat. He looked down at the baby bump again.

She took two steps forward, took his hand, and placed it on her belly. "He's moving. Can you feel it?"

A minute later he looked at her sadly. "No."

She smiled. "It's probably too soon. I can just barely feel it. It feels like little flutters."

He nodded. "Yeah, that's probably it."

"I should be getting down to the Great Hall..." she began.

"Luna wait," he took a deep breath. "What about us? You and me?"

Something flashed behind her eyes so quickly he would have missed it if he had blinked. She turned away slightly.

"You said there was no future for us," she reminded him.

"Well, that was obviously before I knew about this," he gestured at her middle. "A mutual future is kind of an inevitability now."

"I don't want to be an inevitability." she turned completely away from him and walked toward the door.

"Luna, I' m sorry."

She stopped.

He ran his hand through his hair. "I didn't mean that the way it came out. I don't really know what I mean. What if I come back this weekend, after we've both had some time to think about everything, and we talk further?"

After the longest moment of his life, she nodded. "I think that would be a good idea. Especially if you have some chicken soup first."

He crossed the room in two long strides and took her hand. "I'll walk you to the Great Hall."

They walked in silence, and when they arrived, Weaslette was waiting outside the doors. Draco ignored her, turning to embrace Luna.

"I'll see you soon," he whispered into her hair, then tipped her face up to kiss her lips.

"I'd tell you to get a room," the Weaslette said behind him. "but obviously you already have."

Draco whirled on her angrily. "Say whatever you want to about me. I don't fucking care. But do not EVER say a word about Luna and our child. Clear?"

Weaslette nodded in shock.

Luna turned him to face her and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his nose. He smiled and winked at her.

She took Weaslette by the arm and pulled her into the Great Hall. Draco turned and walked out the front doors of the castle, down to the gates so he could disapparate back home.


	15. Meeting the In Law

She was here, snuggled up with him in his huge bed in Malfoy Manor, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his heart.

She whispered "I'm so glad you got over being stubborn and came to me. Now I can come back to you, Draco." She kissed his nose.

He rolled them both over, so that he was on his side, with her back against his chest and his arms around her waist. Then he chuckled, because Dream Luna had a baby bump too.

* * *

><p>His first stop was at Gringott's, where he transferred a sum into a vault for Luna that was significant enough that the head goblin offered to personally deliver her key to Hogwarts.<p>

Draco next headed to St Ottery Catchpole by apparation and took a deep breath to calm himself. He could face Death Eaters and Dark Wizards. He could make public speeches. He could handle himself with dignity in just about any social situation. He had no idea how to inform Xeno Lovegood that he was going to propose to the man's pregnant daughter. Especially when by all accounts, Xeno Lovegood was slightly deranged.

He knocked on the door of the odd little house. His first impression was that it was a tower, missing the rest of the castle. No one answered the door, although he could hear the sounds of someone moving about inside. He knocked again, still without an answer.

He pushed the door open slightly. Surely the man was just busy getting ready for his trip. There were no Death Eaters in there. But the hair on the back of Draco's neck still stood up.

"Mr. Lovegood?" he called out.

"Oh, hello there! I'm in the library!" a voice shouted back.

Draco took that as an invitation to come in. He closed the door behind him, stepping into a small but cozy sitting room flooded with sunshine. He felt rather than heard something behind him. He turned to find a small dog between him and the door, teeth bared. It didn't make a sound, but it certainly didn't appear friendly.

"Um, Mr. Lovegood? Will the dog bite?" he asked, unsure whether to proceed toward finding the library.

"Hoppy?" the dog's ears perked up. "Hoppy, leave our guest alone. If he's friendly." the voice added. The little dog wagged his forked tail and ran between Draco's legs up the stairs, his rear end bouncing as Draco noticed for the first time that the dog was missing a back leg.

Figuring the dog probably knew where the library was, Draco followed him up the stairs to the third floor. The library was impressive, with the perimeter lined with books, from the floor up to high windows that filled the room with natural light. Mr. Lovegood stood on a ladder, peering at the books on the second highest shelf. He briefly glanced at Draco before looking back to the books in front of him.

"Hello. I don't believe I know you," he spoke as if total strangers walked into his library every day.

"No sir. We've never met. My name is Draco Malfoy. I went to school with your daughter." Draco clenched his fists behind his back to keep his hands from shaking.

"If you're Draco Malfoy, your father also held my daughter prisoner in your dungeon." the man didn't look his way. He flicked his wand and one of the books flew from the shelf to a stack on the table.

Shit. He would have to bring that up.

"Yes sir, and I'm very sorry about that. I did everything I could to protect her while she was there. I wish I could have let you know so you wouldn't worry, but the Death Eaters would have killed us all if I had been caught."

The older man climbed down the ladder and looked at him for a moment. "I know you did. Luna told me." He slid the ladder over and ascended again. "And why would a second generation Death Eater help my daughter? Or is it third generation?" He was back to searching the books and not looking at the squirming young man below him.

"It's only second generation. And I helped her because I didn't want to be a Death Eater. I wanted to be at school playing Quidditch and studying for Transfiguration and doing what people my age are supposed to be doing. And because Luna should have been at school looking for her shoes that the Nargles stole and telling us about snorkacks and waldinnas..."

"Waldillas," Mr. Lovegood interrupted, still not looking.

"Yes, waldillas." Draco continued. "She didn't need to worry about whether she was going to be fed or what some of those guys would have done to her."

Mr. Lovegood peered over his shoulder at Draco for a moment before turning back to his books, flicking another from the table to the wall. "And why would that concern you, Malfoy?"

Draco had the feeling he was stepping into a mine field with this line of questioning. "Because I care about her, sir."

Mr. Lovegood half turned on the ladder to look at him. "Do you, now? And what is it about my Luna that catches the fancy of a Death Eater, exactly?" He turned back to the books again.

"Please don't call me a Death Eater. I never wanted to be one, and sometimes I wish I would have let them kill me rather than let myself be pushed into it." Draco gripped the edges of the table, wondering why he was pouring all this out to a man he had just met, one that was supposed to be unbalanced at that. "But as for Luna, she's a beautiful person."

"I'm sure there are many pureblood witches who are more beautiful than Luna. Many of them are probably from wealthy families who were sympathetic to Voldemort in the Wars. Why aren't you pursuing one of them?" Another book floated to the table, its owner still focused on the shelf rather than the person below him.

"I'm not talking about Luna's outward appearance. I mean, she is beautiful physically, but she has a beautiful soul. She's so...positive all the time. She doesn't judge people. She believes in things other people don't understand but she doesn't think that makes her better than them. She doesn't get upset when people don't believe in the things she does. She doesn't let what other people think change who she is." Draco realized he was talking too much. Especially to someone who really wasn't talking back.

"So in other words, my Luna is a novelty for you. A distraction from the cookie cutter socialites." Mr. Lovegood descended the ladder and moved it over again before climbing back to examine the higher shelves.

Damn. He hadn't expected this to be easy, but did Luna's dad really have to make it this tough? "I really don't know how to answer that. She is different from everyone else. But as for whether I care about her because of the fact or in spite of it, I don't know. I just know that I've never felt this way about anyone else."

Lovegood actually paused for a moment and looked down at him. "That's actually a very good answer, Malfoy. But you still haven't told me why you're here."

Draco took a deep breath and plunged in. "I want to ask her to marry me."

His hopefully future father in law came down the ladder for that one. "How does Luna feel about this?" he asked, almost dazed.

"I hope she will say yes. If not, I'll keep trying until she does." Draco fought the urge to look away from the man's intense stare.

"And what happens when you get tired of her? When the novelty wears off? When you decide you want a proper, pedigreed, old money witch?" Lovegood folded his arms across his chest.

"I don't foresee that would ever happen," Draco answered determinedly. "Actually I've been trying to forget her and get her out of my system for the past five months. Obviously, it hasn't worked."

Her father raised his eyebrows. "And why would you have tried to do that?"

"Because I felt the same way you did. That she didn't belong in my world, that she would only end up getting hurt. That high society would wear on her, bring her down, take the light out of her eyes. I couldn't bear the thought of that." Draco felt as if he was ripping his heart out and trying to show it to a blind person.

"So why have you changed your mind now?" the older man tilted his head slightly.

Another deep breath and headlong charge into the minefield. "Honestly? Because she's expecting my child. And now that I know, I'm not going to let either of them go without a fight."

Amazingly, Lovegood's expression didn't change. "I thought you were protecting her while she was prisoner, not taking advantage of her."

"It didn't happen then," Draco said quickly. He could feel his face redden. "Actually, we, um, became involved after the final battle at Hogwarts."

The older man was silent long enough for panic to really set in.

"I see," he finally spoke. "I'm not happy about her being pregnant at such a young age, but I am glad that the father of her child is taking responsibility for the situation." He walked over and examined the stack of books on the table. "But what if Luna turns you down? What if this is not what she wants?"

"I hope she won't. If she does, I hope I can change her mind. If she doesn't want to live in the Manor, we'll live somewhere else. If the people in my parents' social circle make her uncomfortable, we don't have to associate with them. But if she really doesn't want me, I will let her go. I will make sure she and our son are taken care of for the rest of their lives. And if either of them ever need anything, I will be there for them."

"And what of you?" he persisted. "What about when your friends and family make fun of you for being with a girl who believes in things they are too closed minded to see? Do you even believe in those things, Malfoy?"

Draco shrugged. "I've seen a nargle. I've learned and keep learning from Luna that just because something is outside your personal realm of experience doesn't make it not real or not possible."

Lovegood turned to face him, smiling, and held out his hand. "You are a very brave man, young Malfoy. You'll take good care of my Luna. I do hope she accepts because I've been worried about going to South America and leaving her like this."

Confusion crossed Draco's face for a moment as he shook the offered hand. "Luna said you didn't know she was pregnant."

Her father waved vaguely. "Of course I knew. I was waiting for her to tell me. Then I was going to hunt down and maim or seriously injure the bastard responsible. But now I don't have to, because you were brave enough to face me." He looked around the library again, as if gauging how many books he had not yet looked at. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to gathering my research books for my trip."

"Yes sir. I'm sure I'll be talking with you again soon."

Draco allowed the strange dog to lead him back to the front door. He walked down the steps and a polite distance away from the house before disapparating back to the Manor.

Aunt Andromeda was there with her grandson. Since the war, his mother and her sister had made amends. And since his aunt was now a widow and had lost her only child, she was a frequent visitor to her remaining family.

Narcissa and Andromeda were close together on the loveseat in the green sitting room, looking over some sort of muggle book with brightly colored photographs. Baby Teddy sat on a blanket on the floor, playing with a toy dragon.

Draco knelt beside the baby, who held out his dragon and cooed. A lump formed in his throat as it truly hit him. He and Luna were going to have one of these. Well, probably not with blue hair, but still...

His mother looked at him, her eyes shining. "Oh, Draco! 'Dromeda has brought me the most wonderful thing! Muggles have books that show pictures of the items for sale in their stores. You can see what the stores have without going there. Then you can send a list of what you want, and they will send your purchases to you!" she held out one of the books toward him. "Look at all the things we can get for my grandchild!"

Oh Merlin help us all.


	16. The Bones

Draco Malfoy did something he was not proud of. Something he had never done in his entire life. He owled Neville and pleaded to be invited to visit in London. He still had nearly 48 hours before he saw Luna again. He had still no idea what he was going to say to her or what her reaction would be.

His mother however, could not comprehend the idea that Luna would not immediately agree to marry her darling son and move into the Manor. She was planning the engagement party, the wedding, the baby showers as in plural, and the nursery. She had parchments full of lists and stacks of catalogs, as those muggle shopping books were called, marked with things she hoped Luna would like. His father had managed to spend a good deal of time hiding in the study, but poor Draco could not escape his mother tracking him down at least twice an hour to ask "Do you think Luna would like this?"

An owl arrived two hours later, inviting Draco to dinner with Neville and Harry in London. He told his mother he was going to leave early as he wanted to stop in Diagon Alley first, and not to wait up, because he might stay overnight if it got late. She kissed his cheek and told him to be careful. He stopped by the study and said goodbye to his father as well. Neville was right. If there was one thing they had learned in the past few years, tomorrow was not a guarantee.

* * *

><p>Draco killed some time browsing the shops in Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, picking up a new quill for his father and some chocolates for his mother. At five minutes before 6 o'clock, he made his way to the resturant to wait for Neville and Harry. Scary Weasley and his wife were already there, seated and apparently waiting for their food. He and Draco nodded to one another. Ten minutes later, his friends showed up, with the Weasel in tow.<p>

Neville apologized for being late, and Harry apologized for Ron's attitude. Apparently he was supposed to have gone off with Granger, but she had something come up at the last minute. The Weasel just glared. By unspoken agreement, the other three ignored him, and chatted about Auror training, Neville's grandmother, and how if felt weird that Hogwarts had started back without them. Draco gave them an abbreviated version of his meeting with Luna's father, as Neville, of course, had already heard the highlights of his visit to Hogwarts.

In the middle of dinner and laughing over Narcissa's new catalog shopping obsession, Ron, who was sitting directly across from Draco, put down his fork abruptly and looked at something over Draco's head. Before the others could turn, a female voice behind them said "Expelliarmus."

All four men leaped to the their feet, and three turned to see who had disarmed them. It was a girl who had been at Hogwarts with them, a Hufflepuff who now looked ten years older than she should have.

"Do you know who I am, Draco Malfoy?" she asked sneeringly.

"No," he admitted. "I know you were at Hogwarts, but I'm not sure I ever knew your name."

"My name is Susan Bones. The Death Eaters killed my family. All of them."

"I'm sorry for your loss," he said softly, not really sure what else to say.

"Are you really? Or were you there when they tortured and killed my aunt? Or my mother? Was that your initiation into the Death Eaters? What you did to earn your Dark Mark? Killing one of them?" she spat out the slightly slurred words, and they realized she was somewhat drunk.

"No, Susan," he held his hands out to her. "I wasn't there, I swear to you."

"Fucking liar!" she shouted. "Just like a Death Eater. Come outside with me. I'll carry out the sentence that the Wizengamot should have given you."

Neville and Harry exchanged glances, but before either of them could act, Draco spoke softly and forcefully "Stupefy!" and Susan collapsed into the arms of Scary Weasley, who had been standing two paces behind her with his wand ready.

Neville stepped forward and retrieved their wands. Scary Weasley lifted the girl as if she weighed nothing. "Fleur and I will see her home." he nodded to the disrupted diners. His wife threw some galleons down on their table and rushed out the door behind him.

The four returned to their seats, but were now aware of the entire patronage of the resturant staring at them. Harry suggested taking their food back to the house, and the others quickly agreed. They apparated back to 12 Grimmauld Place, which Draco could barely remember visiting a few times as a small child.

"Hey, is that crazy..." he started to ask.

"Blood traitors! Filth! Get out of my house!" a voice shrieked.

"Yeah, she's still here," Harry answered his unfinished question.

They moved down the hall to the kitchen, where they sorted out takeout containers on the table while Harry summoned silverware for everyone. There was an apparation crack, and all four, still jumpy from the incident at the resturant, had their wands drawn before they realized it was only the house elf.

"It's fine Kreacher, we're just going to eat what we have. We'll let you know if we need anything." Harry assured him, to which Kreacher went off grumbling about ungrateful spawn.

They finished their meal in relative silence. Afterwards, they convinced Draco to play a few board games which they had been practicing for the muggle studies section of their training. He didn't really understand Clue, but slaughtered them all at Monopoly. Go figure.

It was nearly midnight by the time Harry loaned Draco a pair of pajama pants and directed him to the guest room at the end of the hall.

* * *

><p>At noon the next day, the Malfoy family was assembled in the small dining room over a light luncheon when two men burst through the floo with shouts of "Expelliarmus!"<p>

This was getting rather annoying.

Draco put on his best Slytherin smirk. "Robards," he addressed one of the Aurors who had arrested him. "To what do we owe this displeasure?"

"Where were you last night, Draco Malfoy?" the shorter Auror asked while his partner touched Draco's wand to an item that looked like a muggle palm pilot.

"At Number 12 Grimmauld Place, with three of your Auror trainees," Draco drawled before taking another bite of his crab salad.

"This wand is clean, Robards," the other Auror informed him. "In the last 24 hours, only used for apparating and a couple household tasks."

"I demand you tell me what this is about!" Lucius Malfoy stood, looking every bit the irate lord of the manor.

"We're here to question your son about the murder of Susan Bones," Robards answered.

Fuck.

Actually that didn't even cover it.


	17. Answering the Right Questions

The color slowly drained from Lucius' face as he took in the man's words. Narcissa jumped up, already in tears, ran around the table, and threw her arms around Draco.

"I was with Longbottom, Potter, and Weasley all night, until I came back here this morning." Draco struggled to stand with his mother hanging onto him for dear life.

"Yeah, that's what they said," Robards smirked. "Said the wards were still intact in the morning, that no one had been in or out of the house. But you were each in separate rooms, and you and I both know the valedictorian of Hogwarts could outsmart some wards if he wanted to."

His partner in the meantime had checked both Lucius and Narcissa's wands, declaring them clear as well. The man then walked to the front door, laying his device against it, and announcing that it showed Lucius and Narcissa had not left the premises.

"Surely this tells you that my son wasn't involved and you can leave now," Lucius insisted.

"What this tells us is that your wands weren't involved in the crime. But that doesn't mean your son had nothing to do with this. Draco, you want to come down to the Ministry with us to answer some more questions?" Robards asked as if he had a choice.

"Yes, of course," Draco sighed, silently looking to his father to help disentangle Narcissa, who still clung to him. He kissed her cheek. "I didn't have anything to do with it, but we did see her at dinner last night. I'll just go answer their questions and I'll be back soon."

Robards and his partner bound Draco's hands "just as a matter of procedure" before taking him through the floo. When they stepped into the Auror office at the Ministry, Neville, Harry, Ron, Scary Weasley, and Shacklebolt were all there, talking to others. They all, except the Weasel of course, waved or nodded at Draco as he was paraded through to an interrogation room.

Robards and his partner, who he finally introduced as Berryhill, closed the door behind them, releasing Draco's hands and gesturing for him to have a seat. Robards sat across from him, while Berryhill sat at the end of the table.

"So, Malfoy, Susan Bones gets a little drunk, interrupts your dinner out with your friends, embarasses you in front of everyone in the busiest resturant in Diagon Alley, so after your friends are asleep, you sneak over to her flat and take care of the problem, right?" Robards began, doodling on a notepad before him.

"No, Susan Bones was drunk and grief striken. She interrupted our dinner, the Weasley couple took her home, my friends and I went back to Potter's place, finished our dinner, hung out, forgot about her, and went to bed." Draco forced himself to sound bored. "You already know it wasn't my wand that doled out the killing curse, so why are you wasting your time with me instead of out looking for the bad guys?"

"Bones wasn't Avada'ed," Robards opened the folder under the notepad and pulled out crime scene photos. "Nope, she was good old fashioned beaten, raped, and strangled." he passed a picture to Draco, who felt physically sick at the sight of her battered and bloody face, eyes staring vacantly.

"Then why aren't you out looking for some muggle asshole?" Draco asked, flinging the picture back at the auror.

"Because some muggle asshole wouldn't have drawn a Dark Mark on the wall in the victim's blood," Robards retorted, shoving another picture at his suspect.

Draco's blood ran cold.

Berryhill spoke before Draco could. "Look, maybe you just went over there to talk to her. Maybe things got out of hand. Maybe you had been drinking as well. You didn't mean to do it. Just tell us what really happened, and the Wizengamot will go easy on you. We'll make sure you don't get The Kiss."

Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I wasn't there. I did not leave Harry Potter's house between 7 or so last night and a little after 8 this morning."

They continued on the same line for over an hour, Berryhill trying to buddy him into confessing, Robards trying to bully him into confessing, and Draco insisting he had nothing to confess.

The door opened and Minister of Magic walked in. "Let me have him for a few minutes," he said, thumbing at the door. Robards and Berryhill scrambled to their feet and outside without a word.

The former auror waited a full minute before casting a Silencing charm at the door. He sat down across from Draco, who was beginning to get worried, until he heard what Shacklebolt had to say.

"I know you didn't do this."

Draco sighed. "No, I didn't. But why should you believe me?"

"I was there at your trial. I heard what you said about stopping someone from raping Hermione Granger. It's either happened to you, or happened close to you. You wouldn't do that to someone else."

Draco looked at the table. "No, I wouldn't."

"Talk to me, Draco," he pleaded. "This is totally off the record, just between us. I'm not auror any more."

"So why are you involved in this investigation?" Draco asked, still not looking at him.

"Because three of my auror trainees were among the last people to see the victim alive. I owe it to the wizarding community to make sure this case is handled to the letter perfectly." The Minister paused briefly before adding. "Anything you can tell me may help us. If whoever did this to Susan Bones is still out there, they could do this to someone else."

Draco looked at him for a long moment, debating whether he could trust this man. Or anyone else in the Ministry, for that matter.

Neville was part of the Ministry. So was Harry. Draco owed the two of them enough to talk to the man in front of him.

"The Dark Lord believed in ruling by fear and intimidation. As long as people were afraid, he didn't really care what the Death Eaters did to achieve the fear. Theo Nott Senior and Thorfinn Rowle, it was a game to them. They made me watch a few times and tried to get me to join in. I didn't go along with them. Rowle jumped on me once. I don't know if he would have actually done it, or if he was just trying to scare me and show me who was boss. But I made sure he wasn't in any condition to try it with anyone else for a while."

Shacklebolt nodded. "They're both still at large. I'm betting one of them is our perp."

"Look at her knees," Draco gestured at the folder of evidence pictures.

"Excuse me?" the former auror tilted his head and raised his eyebrows.

"Nott has a thing for making women get on their knees. If it was him, she probably has scratches or carpet burns on her knees."

Shacklebolt picked up the folder and flipped through the photos. Then he stood and looked at Draco. "Come on, you can go now."

Once in the main room, Shacklebolt handed the folder to Robards. "Your un-sub's name is Theo Nott Senior. May or may not have been assisted in this crime by Thorfinn Rowle. Get looking for the two of them. Mr. Malfoy is free to go."

"But...what...how...we've been working on him for over an hour! How do you know..." Robards sputtered.

Shacklebolt laughed. "One day you'll learn to ask the right questions."

Neville jumped up from behind a desk in the corner. "If you can spare us for a few minutes, Boss, Harry and I will walk Malfoy down to the floo."

Shacklebolt answered, even though the question was directed to the current Chief Auror. "Of course, but straight away and hurry back. The trail is getting cold and there are more innocent women out there."

As soon as they were out the door, Draco and Neville both stopped, turned to each other, and said "What the hell?" Harry laughed.

"You first," Neville insisted. "What happened with Shacklebolt that he turned you loose in five minutes after Tweedledum and Tweedledumber interrogated you for an hour?"

"Robards and Berryhill were determined to make me confess. Shacklebolt came in and asked what I knew about Death Eaters who liked to rough up women. I told him who did, and apparently the evidence matched." Draco shrugged. "Now how did things get from the resturant to here?"

Harry answered that one. "Bill and Fleur took Susan home, revived her, and stayed for over an hour while she cried on their shoulders. They made sure she had something to eat and seemed to be calmed down before they left. Then this morning, she didn't show up for work, so her boss came to check on her and found the body."

The walked the rest of the way to the floo in silence. When they arrived, Neville looked long and hard at Draco.

"I know this look. It's the Draco Beating Himself Up Look. Don't do this." he put his hand on Draco's shoulder.

"It's not myself I would be doing it to," Draco spoke dully, staring into the middle distance. "What happens if every time there's a Death Eater crime, the aurors come arrest me in front of Luna and my son?"

"Stop. Stop right now. Don't play this game." Neville's voice was almost harsh. "I'll be over tonight, as soon as I can get out of here."

Harry murmured something, but Draco didn't hear as he was drifting into the inner darkness. A few minutes later, he found himself in the floo in his father's study, not remembering how he got there.

* * *

><p>AN - so right (write) now, the Evil Plot Bunny in my head is screaming that we neeeeeeeeed a HP/NCIS crossover starring Shacklebolt and Gibbs. muahahahahaha


	18. Midnight Whispers and Giggles

She was here. Dream Luna wrapped both her arms around his chest and burrowed her face into his neck.

"Draco, I know you're coming to me tomorrow, but it's been a terrible day. I just need to be with you tonight."

He pulled her as close as he could against him. "I know. I was so afraid when the aurors came this morning. So afraid I wouldn't get to come see you."

He thought she stiffened for a moment, but it was gone in a flash.

"I don't know what to do. I want to be with you and the baby, but I don't want to hurt you."

She brushed his hair away from his face. "Then don't hurt us." she whispered.

"I wouldn't intentionally. But I was almost arrested today for something I didn't do. Why would you want to be married to someone like me?"

"Because you're wonderful," she kissed his nose. "Because you have a beautiful soul. Because you're strong and brave and brilliant. And because you love deeper than you know."

He kissed her on the lips. "Thank you. I wish I was all those things. But the truth is, I'm a former Death Eater. I've seen death and destruction and darkness. And part of me will always live there."

"You're choosing the darkness because it's familiar and comfortable." she kissed his nose again. "You could just as well choose the light."

His fingertip traced the side of her face. "You make me almost believe that. But there's so much darkness. I don't want the darkness to pull you in. To change you and destroy you. You're what pulls me out of the darkness. I'd die if the darkness took you too."

Something shifted behind her eyes. Her hands came up to his cheeks, and she was pulling his face toward hers, kissing him as if her life depended on it. He kissed her back, matching her intensity, kissing Dream Luna like he wanted to kiss the real Luna. Her hands were raising his shirt, and he reluctantly released her long enough to slip it over his head before she strangled him with it. As soon as the garment cleared the top of his head, he was reaching for her again, but Luna had frozen, staring at his chest.

"What?" he whispered, bending his head toward hers.

Dream Luna reached up, touched his bottle cap necklace, and started to giggle. "You wear it." she breathed in amazement.

"Um, yeah, well, don't tell my father, but I have this muggle thing that you listen to music on, it's called an ipod, and if the Nargles stole it, I would be seriously pissed." he grinned at her and she giggled more. "But seriously," he looked into her eyes again. "I wear it because it's the first thing you gave me. And the paper bird is over there on the mantle."

Her giggles stopped and she pulled her own shirt over her head. There, on a long chain, hanging at just the perfect length to lay right over her heart, was his signet ring. "I wear the first thing you gave me too." she whispered.

He placed his open hand over her belly. "No, I think this was the first thing I gave you." A slow, lazy grin spread over his face and she giggled again.

"I can't wear that one. At least I didn't park it above the fireplace." Luna playfully rolled her eyes and he laughed at her.

The next hour was spent giggling and kissing and giggling and touching and giggling and eventually making love. As their bodies joined, he paused above her for a moment, looking into her eyes. If he had only one wish for the rest of his life, he wished that he would never screw things up with her. At least no worse than he already had. Luna impatiently began to move for him. Draco laughed and got back to the matters at hand.

Later, when he collapsed on top of her, he whispered "This is what I meant. You bring me out of the dark."

She kissed his nose.

He started to roll both of them onto their sides, when Dream Luna gasped and tensed. He froze, momentarily positive he had done something to hurt her or the baby, before remembering that she was only a dream, she couldn't be really hurt. But she was reaching for her neck, where his bottlecap necklace had scratched her.

He moved her fingers aside, making sure it wasn't bleeding. "It's fine." he kissed the spot. "It's your fault, could have made the necklace out of something less dangerous." he flashed the wicked grin at her again.

"Yes, but if it wasn't dangerous, it wouldn't help against the nargles, would it?" she giggled.

He snuggled Dream Luna against his chest, hoping that tomorrow the real Luna would be at least a fraction of this pleased with him.

* * *

><p>He woke the next morning with a knot in his stomach. He had been mentally rehearsing and discarding speeches for the past 24 hours. Harry and Neville showed up for breakfast. Draco wasn't sure if they came to offer their support or to make sure he didn't chicken out on going to Luna, but some part of him was glad they did. He showed Harry the ring he was going to offer Luna, the least ostentatious thing in the Malfoy family heirloom collection. It was a square diamond, set deep into a band that was intricately carved with Celtic designs. Neville had seen it the night before, when he had spent an hour talking Draco out of the darkness. Harry agreed that it was perfect.<p>

At ten minutes before 10am, Draco's two friends walked him out to the gate of the Manor, where he apparated to the front gate at Hogwarts. As McGonagall promised, Hagrid met him there, greeting him with a stiff grunt, and led him to the room where he and Luna had met earlier in the week.

She was already there, standing by the window in almost the same place where she had found on Tuesday. The sun streaming in the window gave her almost an otherwordly glow.

"Hi," he said, walking slowly toward her.

"Hello Draco," she smiled at him.

He closed the distance between them, brushing her hair behind her shoulders and wrapping his arms around her in one motion. Her arms came around his waist, hugging him too, and he kissed the top of her head. He took a step back, mentally preparing to launch into his carefully prepared speech, but he took one look at her and all reasonable thought left his head in a heartbeat.

Because Luna had a scratch on her neck.


	19. The Freak

Draco was furious in a matter of a heartbeat. He wasn't even sure why.

"You were really there!" he hissed, backing away from her. "You let me think I was dreaming, but you were really there!"

"If you weren't sure, you should have asked me," Luna replied, completely unperturbed.

"Were you really in Azkaban?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"How?" he ground out.

"I apparated in there, just like I did here at Hogwarts," she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him slightly, as if puzzled by the question.

He clenched two handfuls of his outer cloak to keep from punching a wall. "Why didn't anyone hear you?"

She smiled. "If I concentrate, I can apparate silently."

"How?" he spat. "How can you do that? How do you apparate through Anti-Apparation Jinxes and the security at the Manor and do it silently?"

Her smile faded. "I don't know. I just can. I always could."

He turned away from her. When he spoke again, his voice was much softer, but still angry. "What else can you do?"

"A lot. I'm not crazy. I really do see things other people don't see, and sometimes I can hear thoughts. Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and my father had quite a long conversation my first year. I came here able to do NEWT level magic I had never been taught."

"Why do they think you can do those things?" he still refused to look at her.

"They don't know. They don't know if it's something I was born with, or the experiments my mother did had some effect on me. There's no one else like me to compare and figure it out." her voice sounded closer, but he didn't realize she was right behind him until she put her hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off and whirled to face her. "So you never thought any of this worth mentioning? You were just content to let me think I was dreaming and laugh at how stupid I was? You never thought about mentioning to me that you have abilities other people don't have, and that they could maybe affect our baby?"

Luna lost it. She didn't really shout, but she raised her voice at him. "First of all," she began. "Have we _ever_ actually had a normal conversation? Second, do you think this has been easy on me? Do you think I've enjoyed being thought of as a freak my whole life? Do you think I really wanted to dump all this on someone who actually didn't treat me like a freak? The one person who's ever made me feel special? And third, do you not think I've asked the healer every time I've seen her whether or not my baby was healthy?" She turned from him to face out the window.

He stared at her back, still holding onto his anger. "What else have you lied to me about?"

"I've never lied to you," all the anger was gone from her voice. "Maybe I didn't explicitly tell you every detail, but the truth was in front of you the whole time. You chose not to see it."

He turned and walked away from her, out of the office, and out the front door of the castle.


	20. Anger Management

"You know, this place is called the _Forbidden_ Forest for a reason," Draco said when he heard the apparation crack, not even turning to see who was behind him. He already knew.

"Yeah, but if I drag you back up to the castle to kick your arse, we'd probably both get detention. Which would suck, because we've already graduated." Neville snarked back, sitting down beside him on the fallen log.

"Luna sent you here to kick my arse?" Draco plucked a twig off a nearby bush and began pulling leaves off of it.

"No, Luna sent me to make sure you're ok, because you're upset and your head is full of some kind of little creatures and there's no chicken soup out here. This is Luna we're talking about."

Draco snorted. "We were wrong all along about Luna. Nothing is simple and pure about her."

"Explain." Neville folded his arms.

"She can do...all kinds of shit. Stuff that other people can't do. They don't know if it was something she was born with or some experiment that her mother did on her. She can hear what people are thinking sometimes. She can apparate in and out of places that have Anti-Apparation Jinxes, like Hogwarts and even Azkaban, and she can do it without making a sound. All the wards and security at the Manor, she can just walk right through it."

Neville rolled his eyes. "Does she want a job as an auror?"

"It's not funny," Draco glared at him. "I kept thinking I was dreaming that she was there with me at night, in Azkaban, in the hospital ward at Hogwarts, even last night at home, but she was really there."

"And that's a bad thing?" Neville clearly didn't get it.

Draco picked up a rock and threw it. "She didn't tell me the truth. She let me think I was dreaming. I told her things I wouldn't have said if I had known she was real. And the other day, I saw my little cousin and thought "Luna and I are going to have one of those, except ours won't have blue hair." Well hell, it just might, because who knows what effects her mother's experiments may have had."

Neville reached over and smacked Draco on the back of his head. "Hello? Nymphadora Tonks was _your _cousin, not Luna's. Her father was a muggleborn, which means more than likely, that metamorphamagus gene is in the Black side of the family. If you have a blue haired kid, it probably won't be Luna's fault."

Draco looked at him. Damnit, he hated when Neville was right.

"So what is it you're really angry about? Because you told Luna something you didn't mean to, and you're afraid that she'll hold it over you? Or because Luna is more powerful than you are? Or because Luna doesn't fit neatly into some little compartment you designed for her in your head? Because I'm thinking the fact that she sneaked into _Azkaban_ to see you isn't a really good reason to be angry at her."

Draco sat in silence for a moment, because honestly, what could he say after that?

"She didn't tell me the whole truth about her," he persisted.

Neville snorted. "Like you're the fucking paragon of truth and honesty, Mr. Former Death Eater. You're sitting here lying to yourself, telling yourself that you're angry at Luna, when the truth is that you're scared and you don't know what to do."

Draco realized in that moment that the best and worst part of having a best friend was having someone who would be that bluntly honest with you.

Sighing, he stood and turned back toward the castle. "Do I have leaves on my butt?"

"I know you did not just ask me to look at your butt," Neville shook his head.

"No, I did not ask you to look at my butt, I asked you if I had leaves on my butt." Draco started walking.

"See, I knew there was a good reason I wasn't a Slytherin."

Draco turned, flipped him off, and kept walking.

"So should I hang around?" Neville asked.

"No, go home and I'll let you know what happens," Draco called over his shoulder as he disappeared behind the trees.

* * *

><p>Yeah, you knew that was coming, because the title of the story is Going Back, not Walking Away.<p>

Stick around, we're just getting started good. :) And just for alphadoggg, I will try to keep him out of Azkaban. Mostly.


	21. The Proposal

Draco found Luna still in McGonagall's old office, asleep on the sofa. He sat down in the chair across from her. She woke almost immediately and smiled at him dreamily.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, reaching over to brush her hair away from her face. "I've never even asked you how you were feeling, whether you've been sick or anything."

"We're fine," she announced, placing her hand on the baby bump and sitting up. "Everything's gone very well so far, according to the healer."

"I'm glad," he told her honestly. "I know my mother and her sisters all had a hard time. My mother lost three children before I was born and Aunt Bella could never have any."

She nodded solemnly and then gave him a wicked grin. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

After the incident with the bottlecap necklace, they had fallen asleep tangled together. He had awoken some time during the night with a hard on and a beautiful girl more than willing to take care of the situation when he woke her up. Just as the sun had begun to peek above the horizon, she had returned the favor by waking him for round three.

He mentally kicked himself and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. No, actually, I'm not sorry, but I shouldn't have..." he broke off, a smile on his reddened face.

She leaned over and kissed his nose. "I wasn't complaining."

He sighed and looked at his hands. "Look, about earlier..."

She took his hands in her own. "It's okay." she whispered.

"No, you need to hear this," he looked at her. "I know I keep saying this today, but I'm sorry. Really. I should not have blown up at you like that. You didn't do anything wrong. I know you wouldn't take any chances with our baby. I should not have accused you of lying to me because I know you haven't. And if anything I said made you feel like a freak, I regret it. Because that's not what I think of you at all." he sighed and looked back at their hands. "I was surprised and didn't know what to do. Malfoys do not deal well with those kinds of situations. I'm not saying that as an excuse. I'm telling you that because it would probably be helpful for you to know in the future. I mean, not that I expect you to never surprise me again, I just mean..." he shook his head. "Fuck. I'm talking to much and rambling."

She giggled and kissed his nose. "You're adorable when you're nervous."

He sighed and looked down, at his hands, at the floor, at something.

She reached over and laid her head against his. "And you're still upset about something."

He didn't answer. She took his left hand in both of hers and began massaging his hand. "It would actually be much more relaxing if I massaged your feet instead of your hands, but you have shoes on right now."

It was actually working, at least a little. His muscles weren't quite so tense.

"Now tell me what you're upset about," she whispered.

He ran his free hand through his hair. "When you came to me at night, and I thought you were a dream, I told you I loved you. You never said it back. I thought it didn't mean anything because I was dreaming, but I wasn't." he looked up, his eyes full of raw emotion. "Please tell me you love me."

There was a terribly long silence as her eyes filled with tears. "I can't." she whispered.

He shoved her hands away, practically leaping off the chair and stomping to the window to stand with his back to her.

Her arms snaked around his waist and her head rested against his back. "I do, I just can't say the words. That's why I kiss you on the nose. That's what I'm telling you then."

He pulled her arm loose and slowly turned. The tears were rolling silently down her face. She tipped her head up and kissed his nose.

"My mother, when she died, she was working on a protective spell. She thought there was power in the word love and kept saying it over and over, different variations and incantations, trying to make her spell work. Then there was the explosion and she was on the floor and I kept telling her that, all day and all night and the next day, trying to get her to wake up. I've never said it to anyone since."

He crushed her against his chest and for the first time in many years, Luna cried. He kissed the top of her head and held her.

When her sobs finally slowed to hiccups, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the sofa, sitting down with her in his lap.

He turned her face to look at him. "I'm sorry. I had no idea. I shouldn't have pushed you..."

"N-no, it's ok, you-you're right, you didn't know."

He wiped her tears away with his thumbs and kissed her forehead.

"Does it upset you when I tell you I love you?" he asked.

She gave him a shaky smile. "No, I like to hear it from you."

"I love you," he whispered. "I'll say it enough for both of us."

She snuggled her head against his shoulder. "You were worried about your darkness consuming me. You should have been worried about my own darkness."

His arms tightened around her. "We'll make a deal. Pull each other out of the darkness when we need it."

She nodded against his neck.

He lifted her off his lap and deposited her on the sofa. Before she could ask what he was doing, he was down on his knee in front of her.

"Luna, I love you. I've loved you for a long time, I just couldn't and wouldn't admit it to myself until the battle. I tried to push you away, because I thought you deserved better than me, and I still do."

He fumbled in his pocket. Oh shit, where is the fucking ring? After a moment of panic, his fingers closed around it.

"But I love you and I love our son and I want to be with you forever. I know I can be a pain in the arse sometimes, but you make me want to be better. I can't promise you that I will never make you angry or never make you cry, but I will promise that I'll try not to. Luna," he slipped the ring onto her finger. "Will you marry me?"

She kissed his nose with tears in her eyes again. "Yes, but..."

Oh shit.

"I want to finish school."

He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding and his face broke into a huge grin. "Okay," he nodded. "We'll talk to McGonagall, see what we can work out."

* * *

><p>The headmistress was thrilled at their news, and assured them that Luna could continue her classes until the baby was born, and resume as soon as she was able afterwards, but felt it might not be appropriate for her to live in the dorms, being married. She suggested they look into getting a flat in Hogsmeade during the school year.<p>

Luna returned to her room to pack an overnight bag, as they were going to stop by and tell her father, and then much to Draco's dismay, he was going to bring her back to the Manor so she and Narcissa could work on wedding plans.

McGonagall turned to him when they were alone. "And may I ask, Mr. Malfoy, what your plans are for taking care of your family?"

He shrugged. "I suppose I need to get a job. I have a trust fund of course, well, several actually, but I don't want to live off the Malfoys and Blacks forever. My father is hoping I'll take over running the family businesses, but I've never had any desire to sit at a desk and sign papers all day."

"Well, the reason I asked is because we have several positions open here at Hogwarts. Two in particular I feel would be a good fit for you. Madam Hooch did not return, so we need a flying instructor slash Quidditch coach."

He nodded, mulling that over. That might be something he could do.

"The other is that we are in desperate need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. For the past week we have had aurors take turns filling in as substitute teachers, but they need to be able to continue their own work. We lost so many during the war that they're rather short handed as it is."

He frowned at the old woman. "But I'm only 18. Uncle Severus had begun applying for the position when he was 25, and he was told he was too young."

"Yes, but you are far matured beyond your years, Mr. Malfoy." she walked over, patted him on the arm, and led him out of her office. "Please think about the positions and let me know your answer next week."

* * *

><p>They apparated to the Lovegood home first, where Luna's father had greeted them with a shout as soon as he saw them together. He was thrilled to hear that she had accepted Draco's proposal, but was rather busy sorting supplies for his trip. They promised to keep him posted on the wedding plans.<p>

Next Luna wanted to go to the Burrow and share the news with the Weasleys. She practically skipped down the hill, and Draco nearly had to jog to keep up with her. At some point he noticed that she wasn't wearing shoes.

Luna knocked at the door but then pushed it open without waiting for anyone to answer, which she explained later, she had done there since she was a child. Mrs. Weasley looked slightly surprised to see them together, but Luna held out her left hand and squealed "I'm getting married!". Molly threw down her dish towel, clapped both hands over her mouth, and then swooped Luna into a maternal hug.

"Oh, sweetie!" Mrs. Weasley released her with one arm, which she then used to grab Draco and drag him into a three way hug. "You've got to tell me everything. Oh my goodness! Have you set a date yet? We have so much to do! Fleur! Come here, you've got to hear this!" she hustled Luna off into the kitchen, leaving Draco in the sitting room.

He looked around the room, noting for the first time he wasn't alone. Mr. Weasley, Scary, and the one eared twin were all looking at him in amazement. Well, two of them were, anyway. Probably nothing surprised Scary.

Mr. Weasley recovered first, jumping to his feet. "Oh, come here, my boy, have a seat. Well, this one was a surprise, let me tell you. I really expected Hermione to be the first to come in telling us she was engaged. Of course, I wasn't expecting that one for a while, and probably not until she had knocked Ron over the head, mind you, but still."

Draco sat down, feeling like the fly who had been invited into the spider's parlor.

Mr. Weasley chattered on. "I'm so happy for you and Luna. That poor girl, she deserves some happiness in life. Oh, not to say that you don't, it's just that we've known her all her life and know what all she's been through. She's a good girl, son. I hope you'll be good to her."

"I'm going to try," Draco answered, still feeling somewhat lost.

At that moment, the floo activated and the Minister of Magic called out "Arthur,"

Mr. Weasley stood. "Hold on Kingsley, let me go to the bedroom and I'll call you right back."

The face in the fireplace disappeared as the red haired man bounded up the steps.

Draco fleetingly thought of running after him after looking at the faces of the two remaining Weasleys.

"So," the surviving twin began, not a trace of friendliness in his voice. "You forgot to cast a contraceptive charm before you raped your prisoner and figured marrying her would keep your arse out of Azkaban. Again." He folded his arms as if daring Draco to disagree with him.

Draco shook his head. "No, you were there at my trial. You heard what she said. I watched over her to make sure no one messed with her at the Manor."

"More like guarding your property for your own use," the twin snorted.

"No," Draco insisted. "Nothing happened while she was at the Manor. We didn't, um, get involved until later. But I love her, she loves me, and we're getting married because of that."

Scary Weasley stood, hands on his hips. "Just remember one thing. You hurt her, or the kid, and they won't find your body in an alley. They'll find your body in several alleys."

Draco stood and stared right back at him, hoping his knees weren't shaking. "I won't ever hurt either of them intentionally. But if anyone else does, that's the person they will be finding in several alleys."

Scary smirked at him and held out his hand. "Welcome to the family."

* * *

><p>AN - Oh, don't think they're going to start living happily ever after now. We've still got Theo Nott Sr running around and Lucius's past is going to come back to disrupt Draco's life in a big way.

And since someone asked, yes, Scary Weasley is Bill. Remember that Draco never really knew the Weasleys, other than Ron and Ginny at school, and wasn't friends with them then. He didn't know the older kids's names. In one of the earlier chapters, he thought Bill was one scary looking son of a bitch, so in his mind Bill has been Scary ever since.

If you like the story, I'd love to hear it. ;-)


	22. Perfectly Perturbing Pansy

Draco worried about taking Luna back to the Manor, bringing back awful memories of the only other time she had been there, but she insisted that she really didn't have bad memories, that she in fact had good memories, of how she realized that he cared about her and how brave he was to stand up to the Death Eaters.

He should have been worried about bringing her to the _people_ in the Manor. Narcissa had set upon the poor girl, even more rabid than Mrs. Weasley in her excitement over the wedding. Luna had been dragged away to his mother's favorite sitting room to see all the things that had been marked in catalogs.

He took advantage of the time alone to floo call Neville.

"Well?" his friend demanded as soon as the connection was established.

"I'm going to need a best man," Draco grinned.

"You've come to the right place, because according to Hannah, I'm definitely the best man," Neville joked. "Congratulations."

"Hey, why does the bride marry the groom if his friend is actually the best man?" Harry asked in the background.

No one had an answer for that.

"So have you told her father yet?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, he's happy. And she dragged me down to tell the Weasleys. That was weird. Two of the older brothers threatened me with death and dismemberment and Mrs. Weasley hugged me." Draco shook his head.

Harry said "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." to which he and Neville both burst out laughing.

"What?" Draco wondered.

"Are you sure you don't want to join us in the auror training?" Neville asked. "The Muggle Studies part is actually a lot of fun."

"You'll have to come over one night next week and watch _Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure_ with us." Harry's head came into view. "It's hilarious."

Draco thought he had friends at Hogwarts. The more time he spent with Neville and Harry, the more he realized that Goyle and Crabbe had never really been his friends. Blaise, well, Blaise was a friend as much as he could be, but Blaise had really been too self absorbed to be anyone's friend. Theo was the only one who had been his friend just for Draco's sake, without asking anything in return. Theo was the one whose congratulations had never been laced with jealousy, who had asked Draco's opinion because he honestly wanted to know.

And so many times, Draco had pushed him aside to spend time with the hangers-on, the ones who attached themselves to the Malfoy name or the Malfoy money or the prefect/Quidditch seeker/favorite of Professor Snape.

Draco wasn't sure what he had done to merit a second chance, but he was glad it had come.

* * *

><p>The Malfoys and Luna sat in the small dining room over dinner when the floo network engaged.<p>

"Drake! Sweetheart!" The brunette stepped out of the fireplace, flicking her wand to brush off the ash and straighten her hair and clothing.

"I'm not your sweetheart, Parkinson," he drawled, not giving her the honor of standing at her arrival.

"Silly Drake! I came as soon as I heard the news. Surely you can't honestly be thinking of going through with marrying Loony Lovegood?" she strutted toward him, hips swinging, chest thrust forward, in a dress that left little to the imagination.

"Luna, want to show her your ring?" he smiled sweetly at his fiancee.

Luna smiled just as sweetly and held her hand out toward the girl who was now standing an arm's length from Draco.

"But sweetheart, I understand. You were bored, so you found some entertainment for the night. _She_..."Pansy's tone turned venomous on the word. "took advantage of the situation to try to trap you. But she's not worthy of you. I'm sure a small monetary settlement and a legal agreement and you can make all this go away. Then you and I can pick up where we left off."

He rolled his eyes. "Where we left off is apart, Parkinson. We broke up over a year ago."

She trailed her hand down from his shoulder down his arm to clutch his hand. "But Drake, haven't you missed me? I know I've missed you." she practically purred.

"Actually no, Parkinson. I haven't missed you."

The other three diners at the table and a house elf in the corner were all rooted to the spot, watching the drama play out.

She coyly looked down, drawing designs on the back of his hand with one blood red tipped finger. "But Draco, we were so good together..."

"Good at doing what? Making fun of people? Because I've outgrown all that." he sounded supremely bored.

"Drake," she purred again. "You don't have to pretend in front of your parents. They're adults. Surely they understand about a relationship like ours."

He blew out an aggravated breath. "Don't you have someone else to annoy, Parkinson?"

"My Slytherin Prince, still have the sharp tongue, don't you? That was one thing I always loved about you." she winked at him.

Draco turned back to his plate. "Well, I can't honestly think of anything I love about you, Parkinson. If you can't find your way back to the fireplace, I can have one of the house elves show you."

He sneaked a glance at Luna, who was still smiling pleasantly at the other girl.

"You don't need her, Drake. Think of the perfect little pureblood babies we could make once we're married. The ones we could have already made..." she smirked at Luna. "I always knew you were meant to be the father of my babies."

"Parkinson, there is no possibility that I could have ever been or ever will be the father of your babies. That would require the two of us to do something that _causes_ babies, and quite frankly, I'd be afraid of ending up with something scourgefy wouldn't take off."

Lucius Malfoy burst into laughter. Narcissa's face turned red, and she politely put her hand to her mouth to cover her smirk. Luna still smiled pleasantly.

"Oh, I get it. She's got the Malfoy heir in her belly, so that's why she's got you. First born son and all. Drake, it doesn't have to be like that. You can still marry me, and we'll raise the child. No court, wizard or muggle, would think living in a hovel with a psycho mother would be a better situation that a couple like us, in a lovely estate with a nanny."

He stood and snarled "You'd best leave while I still remember I was raised to be a gentleman."

Standing up was his mistake. Pansy flung herself on him, kissing him and grinding her midsection against him.

Draco started to push her away, but a second later, the brunette found herself flung across the room and into the fireplace. The little house elf ran over, threw in floo powder, and shouted the name of the Parkinson family home.

Three Malfoys turned to stare at Luna, who still smiled sweetly.

"The potatoes are delicious, Mrs. Malfoy." she said.

"I like this girl," Lucius winked at his son.


	23. Wedding Planning Weekend

After dinner, while Narcissa and Luna went to the kitchen to figure out something about wedding reception food, Lucius pulled Draco aside.

"It's a little late to pretend we don't know you and Luna are sleeping together, so your mother and I are going to let her stay in your room tonight, instead of preparing one of the guest rooms for her." Lucius smirked. "So that way you don't have to sneak her down the hall. And by the way, I know you'll be married soon and we won't have to worry about this, but, in the meantime, if you decide to sneak her in at night, warn us, so your mother doesn't go checking on you like she did last night."

Draco flushed. "Shit," he said, drawing out the word. "I'm nineteen years old!"

"Yes, and you're still the mother hen's only chick." Lucius patted him on the shoulder.

They all met in the blue sitting room to discuss wedding plans. The date was set for September 26, three weeks exactly, as Luna's father was leaving on October 1. The ceremony would be in the drawing room at the Manor, with both indoor and outdor areas set up for the reception. Narcissa asked the men's opinion on the food, but they both agreed that whatever the ladies decided would be fine. She then spread out magazine and catalogs, showing them nine different styles of dress robes for the men, and five shades of yellow for the bridesmaids' dresses.

Lucius turned to his son. "I'll give you 50,000 galleons to run off to Greece tomorrow and get married."

Narcissa started beating her husband with a magazine.

Luna yawned, so Draco declared the rest of the planning could wait until tomorrow. Narcissa kissed them each on the cheek and told them to get their rest, looking pointedly at her son. He took his fiancee's hand and led her up the stairs to his room. Once inside, he found himself shoved against the back of the door and being kissed passionately for the second time that evening.

This time he kissed back. And wordlessly cast a silencing charm at the door.

When they finally broke for air, Luna smiled at him and kissed his nose.

"What was that for?" he grinned back.

"The way you stood up to that little tramp." she kissed his nose again.

"You did a pretty good job of standing up to her yourself," he chuckled.

"Well, the poor thing, she was having a hard time finding her way back to the floo, and you looked like you didn't want her plastered all over you..." she winked at him.

He brought his hand up to her cheek. "Here I thought you needed protecting when you were in the dungeons. You probably could have taken out all the Death Eaters by yourself. Or apparated out when you got ready."

Her smile faded. "I didn't have my wand. I can do a lot of things wandlessly and wordlessly, but apparating out of there wasn't one of them. Besides, I didn't feel the need to leave." she turned her head and placed a kiss against his palm.

"See, that's why you're a Ravenclaw. You're so bloody brilliant." he teased.

"Speaking of which," she smiled again. "I had no idea your father had a sense of humor."

He took her hand again and led her toward the bed. "Yeah, everyone thinks my parents are cold and heartless." he shrugged. "That's the way they were raised to act in public. My father can actually be pretty funny. He was supposedly charming and dashing and the boy all the girls wanted when he was in school. My mother is very loving, if you can believe such a thing came out of the Black family, and actually very considerate of other people's feelings when she's not planning a wedding. She frets over whether my cloak is warm enough and all that. The first two years I was at Hogwarts I was so homesick, I really had never been away from her, and she sent me a package every single day. They're good parents. And they're devoted to each other. I was pretty lucky compared to a lot of the kids at school. Vince's parents were split, Pansy's were still together but they hated each other, and Blaise's mom went through so many husbands I stopped keeping track of their names and just referred to them by number."

She kissed him again, this one a soft peck on the lips. "I think our kids are going to have pretty good parents too."

"Kids?" he asked. "We need to get this one here and decide if we like him first before we plan any more."

She growled playfully at him.

"Or maybe it's the other way around," he continued, eyes twinkling. "If this one's a real git, we'll just have to keep having them until we get it right."

"I hated being an only child," she said, sitting on the side of the bed. "I wanted to stay at the Burrow all the time, especially after my mum died. Even before, I used to wish Ginny was my real sister."

He began stripping down in preparation for bed. "Yeah, I hated being the only _surviving_ child. I used to sneak up to the family cemetary and sit by the three little headstones, pretending that I was playing with my brothers and sister. No wonder I'm so freaking warped." he sighed. "Except of course, if a couple of the older ones had survived, my parents probably wouldn't have kept going until they had me."

She kissed his nose. "I, for one, am very glad they had you."

* * *

><p>The next morning, they were just finishing breakfast when the floo activated. Draco held his breath, not sure who he should dread popping out of the fireplace now.<p>

It was Molly Weasley, who he learned, had been invited by his mother to help with the wedding plans. After all, his mother informed him, she had been filling in the role of a mother to Luna for almost half of her life. It would be unbearably cruel to exclude her from being involved in the preparations.

Figuring he wouldn't be needed for several hours, Draco floo'ed to Grimmauld Place. He hung out with Neville, Harry, and surprisingly, the Weasel, who didn't even scowl at him once. He told them about the offers at Hogwarts. All three told him they thought he should take the DADA professorship. While Ron was out of the room, he asked Neville and Harry if they would be his best men for the wedding. He had been informed he needed two, as Luna was going to have two bridesmaids, and for some reason his mother thought the numbers had to be even. They both accepted, of course. They ate hot dogs and popcorn and watched _The Blues Brothers_, another movie assignment for their muggle studies course.

"Hermione went to Catholic school, you know, before she found out she was a witch." Ron informed them around a mouthful of popcorn.

Actually, that explained a lot.

* * *

><p>At a little before 5pm, Draco escorted Luna back to Hogwarts, apparating to the front gate, as neither of them had gotten around to telling the headmistress that Luna could apparate in and out of the building. They were met at the front gates by the Weaselette, who was Head Girl. She apparently had not expected Draco to come in, but he insisted that he was carrying Luna's bag at least into the castle.<p>

She shrugged. "A gentleman. Unexpected." and turned to lead them inside.

He walked her to the entrance of the Great Hall, as it was nearly time for dinner to begin. Luna insisted that she was fine with taking her bag from there, as she could have shrunk it and put in her pocket all along. He was reluctant to leave, knowing that he wouldn't see her for a week. That was puzzling, as he had easily gone weeks without seeing her before.

Finally, as the students started making their way toward the Great Hall for dinner, he pulled her into a long, slow, deep, soft kiss that earned howls and whistles from the other students.

She kissed him on the nose. He whispered that he loved her, and with only two looks back over his shoulder, made his way back out the front door of the castle.


	24. Unexpected Guest

On Monday, Lucius called the house elves together.

"As some of you may know, Master Draco and Miss Luna are getting married. Until next June, they're going to be living near Hogwarts. Would one or two of you like to go with them to help out for the next few months?"

The house elves raised their hands. All of them.

* * *

><p>On Tuesday, Draco was doing pullups in the room above the kitchen that he had converted into his own personal gym. There were definitely perks to being the spoiled child of one of the wealthiest wizarding families.<p>

Unfortunately, there were also drawbacks in being a former Death Eater. Namely the fact that you never knew who might be paying you an unexpected visit.

Like right now, when there was someone creeping up the back stairs from the kitchen. They walked too heavy to be a house elf. Quietly, steadily, the person kept coming. The shadow preceeding them indicated the person was broad shouldered and bald, which pretty much ruled out his father, Neville, Harry, and even the Weasel.

However, it matched the description of at least two Death Eaters still at large.

He listened for any sounds in the rest of the Manor, indications of more than one stranger. He heard nothing except the ever approaching footsteps.

Heart pounding, he summoned his wand from the shelf and crouched behind the open door. The man walked through the door. Draco grabbed his ankles, yanking his feet from under him, sending him crashing to the floor face down. He then leapt onto the man's back, sleek and swift, knees pinning the intruder's shoulders to the floor, grabbing him under the chin, lifting his head with his right hand, using his left to grab his wand from the back waistband of his pants and point it at the man's carotid artery with one fluid motion.

"Good morning to you too, Malfoy," Shacklebolt laughed. "Apparently your father shouldn't have told me to go right up."

A well trained Death Eater wasn't fooled easily. "When I turned you down on the job offer, what did I tell you was my reason?" he growled.

"You said you had had enough secrets and lies to last a lifetime. And I told you I could respect that answer. But now I'm really hoping you've changed your mind."

Sagging in relief, Draco rolled to the side, over his back, and came up on his feet. He stowed the wand back in his waistband and offered a hand to the Minister to Magic.

Shacklebolt shook his head. "Damn you're good and I'm getting old."

Draco shrugged. "The Death Eaters climbed to the top of the corpses of others, and that's when you were on their good side. And I'm not on most of their Christmas card lists any more."

"Yeah, I'm betting your're not." The Minister took a seat on the weight bench as Draco waved for him to do. "There was another rape and murder last night. Same MO, right down to the scraped up knees."

Draco jumped slightly, grabbed the bar above his head, and returned to his pullups. "I was here all night."

"I'm not here to accuse you. I'm here because we found this at the scene." Shacklebolt held out a handkerchief, embroidered with Draco's initials.

"I have a drawer full of those," the younger man dropped his right arm behind his back and continued doing one handed pullups with his left.

The investigator nodded. "That's what I figured. And probably a dozen or more Death Eaters could have had access to them when the headquarters was set up here."

"Exactly." he switched hands and did pullups with his right. "Who's the victim this time?"

"Low ranking Ministry official's secretary. She was a year older than you, but you probably knew her from Hogwarts. Slytherin. Name of Madeline Fitzpatrick."

Draco dropped to the floor, grabbed the towel draped over the handle of the treadmill and wiped his face. "Yeah, I knew her." he didn't meet Shacklebolt's eyes.

"How well?" the investigator asked, obviously picking up that she was something more than a schoolmate.

"I had a drunken one night stand with her two years ago," Draco dropped into a chair against the wall, elbows on his knees.

"Who knew about it?"

The younger man shoved his hand through his hair. "The whole fucking Slytherin house, and probably half the rest of the school. She practically shouted it from the rooftops."

"And you weren't happy about that," Shacklebolt folded his arms.

Draco shrugged. "If the shoe had been on the other foot, so to speak, if I had been the one who poured that much alcohol down her throat and took her to bed, it probably would have been considered date rape. And the fact that she bragged so much about it cost me a shot with the girl I had a crush on at the time."

Shacklebolt leaned forward, putting his own elbows on his knees, mimicking Draco's posture. "Sounds like it was still probably date rape. And it sounds like a whole lot of people knew you didn't exactly have fond feelings for her, even if you've moved on, engaged to someone else now. Congratulations, by the way."

Malfoy nodded.

"What does this Fitzpatrick girl have to do with Nott?" the Minister continued.

Draco thought for a minute. "Nothing that I'm aware of. She was at school with Theo Jr of course, but he didn't really know her. She dated Phillip Parkinson off and on. He got killed in the war too."

"In that case, Mr. Malfoy, I hate to tell you this, but it sounds like maybe someone is just out to ruin your life."

"Why? His son was one of my best friends. I hung out at their house. His father was always polite. Not really friendly, but he wasn't really friendly with anyone, kid or adult."

"Maybe because you survived and his son didn't. Maybe because he considers your family traitors. Maybe a million things. That's what we have to figure out."


	25. Unexpected Informant

On Thursday morning, a letter arrived with an unfamiliar owl, Draco's name scrawled in an unfamiliar hand.

_Malfoy,_

_I am not trying to interfere in your relationship, but there was an incident last evening which I thought you should know about, but Luna has no intention of telling you. _

_We were in the Great Hall at dinner. Emily Hopkirk and Victoria Wood approached Luna. I was at the Gryffindor table, and of course she was at Ravenclaw, so I didn't hear the first things that were said, but then they were screaming things like Luna was a traitor for breeding more Death Eaters and that she belonged in Azkaban along with the rest of the group she had fallen into. Luna of course stayed calm and didn't say much, which made them even more angry. Victoria grabbed Luna, pulled her off the bench, and threw her to the ground. Emily tried to kick her in the stomach but by that time several people apparently cast shields on her and the kick didn't connect. I pulled Emily away and Dennis Creavey grabbed Victoria until the teachers were able to get over there. Luna said she was fine, but Professor McGonagall did send her to the hospital ward to be checked just to make sure. _

_This is the only time things have gotten physical. There have been several times that people have taunted her, especially some of the Slytherin girls. There's apparently a lot of jealousy among your harem. But Luna is Luna of course, and doesn't take it to heart, just says they are confused or upset due to wrackspurts or bandenbruits or something. _

_Like I said, I'm not trying to get in the middle of your relationship with Luna, but Luna is my blood sister. (that's a muggle bonding ritual) I care about what happens to her, and for some bloody reason I may never figure out, I really do believe that you will take care of her. _

_Ginny Weasley_

Draco went to the desk in the corner of his room and drew out three pieces of parchment. The first was to is father's solicitor, inquiring about the status of the search for a residence in the Hogsmeade area. The note to Luna was easy.

_Hello Beautiful,  
><em>

_Please come to me tonight. I miss you.  
><em>

_Love,  
>Draco<em>

The letter to Weaselette was actually much harder than he thought it would be. He started the message several times, but each time erased the words he had written: the denial that Slytherin house was his personal harem, that of course he would take care of Luna, the demand to know why the Head Girl had not goten involved immediately when someone was threatening a student who was her so called blood sister. In the end, he only wrote two words, the only ones that really mattered.

_Thank you._

* * *

><p>AN - Sorry for the short chapter, but we have a much longer one coming up - Hermione's birthday at the Burrow, probably the one after next. And besides, some people are stll a little discombobulated over the image of Draco working out in the previous chapter. In the original draft I mentioned he was shirtless, but I kept disctracting myself... ;)


	26. The New Professor

She was there. This time he was waiting up for her.

Even so, she startled him, apparating into the room silently while he read a book in front of the fire. He put the book aside and rose to greet her.

"I'm glad you came," he whispered, kissing her softly.

"You said please," she answered sweetly.

He led her over to the chair by the fire and conjured a second one. "Are you okay? Ginny Weasley told me what happened last night." He held onto her hand, unwilling to break contact with her.

"It's fine. Really." she told him. "Those poor girls are having such a terrible time with bandenbruits, and I just haven't been able to convince the house elves that we need to have chicken soup every night."

It suddenly dawned on Draco that they'd been having chicken soup a lot more often at the Manor and he was sure Luna had something to do with it.

He sighed and pushed her hair back from her face. "I'm just worried about you. I think maybe you should reconsider on finishing this year of school."

"I'm perfectly fine. And if you think I could have handled Death Eaters, why do you not think I could handle a handful of mean girls?" she tilted her head curiously.

"This is what I was worried about back at the beginning. Being associated with me is hurting you. People who should be your friends are saying terrible things to you and someone actually threw you on the floor on and tried to kick you in the stomach. You can't tell me they weren't trying to hurt you and the baby." he had let go of her hands and was clenching his fists. "You don't deserve this."

"No, I don't," she agreed with him easily. "But I walked into the situation with you willingly, and I'm strong enough to handle it."

"Luna," he ground out. "Don't you get it? They attacked you in the Great Hall this time. There were a lot of other people around. But next time, they'll be smarter. They'll catch you alone somewhere, or pull you into an empty classroom. There won't be anyone around to protect you."

"I'll cast a shield like I did last night," she told him calmly. "If I have to, I do know a good bit of defensive spells. Harry and then Neville taught us, in preparation to take on the Death Eaters if we ever had to. And I've had to."

"Luna..." he sighed.

"Draco, you just have to trust me. When I was in the dungeon here, I didn't have any guarantee that once you left my sight, the Death Eaters wouldn't kill you. I just had faith they wouldn't, and everything turned out just fine."

He didn't answer.

"If the only reason you asked me to come here was to talk me out of finishing school, maybe I should go back." she said, starting to stand.

"No!" he snapped a little too loudly. He had warned his parents that she would be there, but they probably wouldn't appreciate be woken up. He stood and put his hands on her arms.

"I was serious. I have missed you." he continued softly. "I did really want to see you."

She smiled. "You've seen me now. Is it time for me to leave?"

"No," he whispered. "I want you to stay. I want to you show you how much I've missed you."

She kissed his nose. "You talked me into staying."

He sighed. "I want to say one more thing first. I know you've heard some talk about my past, um, experiences."

"Draco, it's not important..." she began.

"It's important to me to say this. Almost none of it is true. Some stories and rumors got started. I didn't stop them because I thought it made me look cool, if everyone thought I had slept with half the school. You're the only one at school now I've actually been with. And you're the only one I want to be with from here forward."

She kissed his nose again. "See? The butterbeer necklace and chicken soup are working."

* * *

><p>On Friday afternoon, Draco arrived at Hogwarts early to meet with Headmistress McGonagall.<p>

"If the position is still open, I'd like to accept the flying instructor and Quidditch coach job." he informed her. "I'd like to start on the 29th, if that is satifactory."

"Well. We are most grateful to have you in that capacity. However, I truly wish you would consider the Defense Against the Dark Arts post instead. It is much easier to find someone who can fly a broom than someone with your deep understanding of the Dark Arts subject matter." she leaned across the desk hopefully.

"Yeah, well, I'm trying to forget how much I know about the Dark Arts," he smiled grimly.

She nodded. "I quite understand. However, if you change your mind in the future and the position is still open.." he nodded. "It would probably be best for you and Miss Lovegood, who I understand will be Mrs. Malfoy by then, to live in Hogsmeade and come to Hogwarts daily for classes."

"Which brings up something you may should know about. Were you aware of the fact that Luna can apparate in and out of Hogwarts?"

The old woman suddenly sat up straight. "How is that possible? We have the strictest of security here! No one can apparate through other than the Minister of Magic and myself! The wards would alert if someone even tried."

Draco shrugged. "We don't know how it works, but it does. She's apparated in and out several times. She can also apparate through into Malfoy Manor, which has an Anti-Apparation Jinx on the house by order of the Ministry."

"Can she bring someone through Side-Along Apparation?" the headmistress looked most distressed.

"Don't know, we've never tried it," he grinned. "I'm not fond of being splinched."

"Who else knows about this?" she asked.

"Just the two of us and Luna," he answered. "I think Professor Dumbledore may have known. But she hasn't spread the word around because she's had enough of being called a freak. And while we're on that subject, I've heard there are a few people who aren't happen about Luna's association with me."

"Yes, well," McGonagall looked abashed. "You know how teenage girls can be. The staff and prefects are all keeping an eye on the situation, to make sure things don't get out of hand."

He nodded. "I appreciate that. I'm not sure whether my being here on staff will make that better or worse."

The headmistress opened a file on her desk, made a few notations on a parchment, and slid it across the desk to him. "Here is your contract. Everything is standard, of course. I trust the salary is satisfactory?"

He glanced over the document before signing. "It's not about the salary. I just need something to do before I die of boredom."

"Very well then. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the staff. If you can spare a few hours one day next week, we can go over the expectations and responsibilities for the staff members."

He nodded.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll go see if Miss Lovegood is ready." she put the contract back in the file and left the office.

About as soon as the thought crossed Draco's mind that it was odd for her to go look for Luna, Snape's portrait spoke.

"Draco, you cannot change your past or run from it. It is and shall always be a part of who you are. Perhaps the best course of action would be turn the training you received for the service of the Dark Lord into a positive by channeling your knowledge into the Defense Against the Dark Arts professorship."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Uncle Sev, that sounds like something Dumbledore would say."

"Yes, curious how that happens, isn't it?" Dumbledore's portrait said. "Perhaps it's from hanging around together."

Draco buried his face in his hands and hoped Luna came along soon.

* * *

><p>Their first stop was in Hogsmeade, where arrangements had been made for them to view a flat and two houses. They both liked the first house best. It was a small manor house, maybe only one fourth the size of Malfoy Manor, but it was plenty of room for a couple and a baby, and situated on a hill opposite Hogwarts, with a grand view of the castle and grounds. Draco owled the solicitor to make arrangements for it.<p>

Next they returned to the Manor, to find Narcissa and Molly Weasley waiting for them.

"What took you so long?" his mother asked. "We have so much to get done this evening because tomorrow Molly is going to take Luna, Ginny, and Hermione to London to get fitted for their dresses."

Draco wondered when his mother had gotten on a first name basis with the Weasley clan, but somehow felt it was probably wise not to mention it.

"That's not fair," he protested. "She's my girlfriend. If I wasn't marrying her, you wouldn't even have a wedding to plan. When do I get to spend some time with her?"

"After the wedding, she's all yours." his mother smiled.

Draco shrugged, swiped an apple from the bowl on the table, kissed Luna a quick peck on the lips, his mother on the cheek, and then Molly Weasley when she turned her cheek to him as well, and left before he got roped into picking silver patterns or something.

* * *

><p>AN - Up next - Hermione's birthday. You know that party is going to get crashed, right?


	27. It's a Bird

The engagement announcement ran in The Daily Prophet Sunday morning.

The owls started at 7am.

By noon, Draco had seen so many freaking birds he felt like Hagrid.

He and his father spent the morning hiding in the study while Narcissa, Molly, Luna, Ginny, and Hermione addressed invitations downstairs. Dozens of businesses wished them well and offered their services. What was left of wizarding's polite society sent congratulations. Seventeen people Draco went to school with wrote something to the effect of "Seriously? Loony Lovegood?" Six pureblood families and one of questionable heritage all offered their daughters as possibly more suitable matches for such as family as the Malfoys, including Robert Greengrass, who declared his three daughters were all pure in blood, heart, and virtue. Draco nearly choked when his father read that part out loud. Lucius raised an eyebrow at him.

"Or not," his son smirked, cheeks a little pink.

"Don't tell me," Lucius groaned.

Pansy sent a howler, declaring that he had ruined her life and she would never be able to show her face in public again.

As if he could ever get that lucky.

* * *

><p>The rest of the day passed in a blur. Xeno Lovegood, Neville, and Harry joined them for lunch before the tailor came at 2 o'clock to fit the men for their dress robes. Luna's father tried to insist on wearing yellow, but Narcissa and Molly voted him down, insisting he needed to match the groomsmen rather than the bridesmaids.<p>

Everyone was still there at dinner time, but right after the meal, Ginny and Luna had to get back to school. Granger was off to meet the Weasel. Xeno went to finish up the final details of his trip. Draco, Harry, and Neville were going back to Grimmauld Place to watch another muggle movie.

Mrs. Weasley hugged everyone, including a completely shocked Lucius Malfoy.

"Draco, we're having Hermione's birthday party at the Burrow Saturday at noon. You and Luna are invited of course. Bring your broom. And Harry and Neville, of course both of you already know you're invited." She turned to the elder Malfoys. "I wish I could invite the two of you, but, well, maybe Narcissa, you can join me for lunch one day when you're done with the house arrest."

To Draco's surprise, his mother said it sounded like a lovely idea and she would be looking forward to it.

Molly finally climbed in the fireplace muttering about needing to add more hands to the clock.

The boys went back to Harry's house and watched _Die Hard_. The bad guy reminded all of them of someone, but they couldn't quite figure out whom.

* * *

><p>AN - Yes, another short filler chapter, but to make up for it, I'm posting the next chapter at the same time.


	28. It's a Plane

A/N - Maneo Domi = Latin for I stay at home.

* * *

><p>As bizarre as it sounded, when they arrived at the Burrow and saw the bustling activity of the party preparations, Draco actually relaxed. This was his world. He had been groomed from the moment he was born to know exactly what to do at social events.<p>

He worked the "crowd", such as it was, consisting of mostly Weasleys and a few former classmates, charming the ladies and making easy conversation with the men.

They found the guest of honor talking with one of the Patil twins and Oliver Wood. Hermione hugged Luna, laughing "There's more of you than there was last week!" and then looked awkwardly at Draco, holding her hand out politely. He pushed her hand aside and hugged her.

"Happy birthday," he smiled, stepping back and putting his arm around Luna.

"Thank you," Granger said shyly.

Mr. Weasley called him over to the huge muggle outdoor grill to ask how they liked their steaks. Neville had mentioned earlier in the week that Harry and Ron (mostly Harry) had offered to buy the food if Molly and Arthur would agree to have the party at the Burrow. Draco did have to admit the grill was fascinating, as was the idea of the man of the house cooking. Draco would barely even know how to make his own tea if the house elves weren't there, and he was positive his father wouldn't.

The food was excellent, served outdoors at long tables, with plenty of butterbeer, lemonade, and conversation to go around. After lunch was cleared and gifts were opened, the Patil twins had to leave, but most of the remaining guests were ready to play quidditch. Molly brought out two sets of vests, red and blue. Ron and Oliver were made captains, as they were the only two who played keeper. The Weasel quickly chose Harry for his seeker, Weaselette for one of his chasers, and the twin for one of his beaters. Oliver chose blue, and took Draco as a seeker, Scary Weasley for a beater, and Angelina Johnson as a chaser. Ron then chose Seamus Finnegan as a chaser and Dragon Tamer Weasley as a beater. Oliver called for Hannah as a chaser and Neville as a beater.

"Um, no," Neville declined. "Neville will play _announcer_."

"Aw come on," Ron urged. "You're much better at flying since you've been taking the auror training."

"The flying has improved, but the coordination has not," Neville grinned. "I still can't walk and think at the same time, much less fly and do something else."

"You have to play," Harry tossed in. "We've got Percy and Fleur left, and if you don't play, the teams will be uneven."

"Fleur eez not playing either," the blond girl announced.

"Why not?" Ron asked. "I was going to pick you for my last chaser."

"I weel be staying off zee brooms for zee next et months or so," she smiled, placing her hand on her stomach.

Molly squealed, clapped both hands over her mouth, and actually jumped up and down before throwing her arms around her daughter in law. Pandemonium erupted for a moment, with everyone congratulating Scary and his wife.

They finally sorted it out, with Ministry Prat Weasley joining the blue team as a beater, and both teams playing a chaser short. Arthur counted off, and everyone took to the air. By the time they reach playing height, Draco had transfigured his vest green.

"Nice," Harry said, grinning. "You have to stand out, don't you?"

"Always," Draco smirked.

The game was pretty evenly matched. As much as Draco hated to admit it, Weasel was a damn good keeper. He blocked every goal attempt on his side. Wood showed why he had been an all-star, as he also blocked all the shots that came his way. The longer they played, the more positive he was that Mr. Weasley had put some sort of charm on the snitch, because he had never seen one do some of the things this one did.

He and Harry showed off a bit more than necessary while chasing the snitch, Draco because Luna was watching, and Harry because he just couldn't let a Malfoy show him up. They had just completed a crossover with a barrel roll when he heard the voice.

"Draco!"

He looked around, trying to place who was calling him.

"Draaaaaaaaaaco," the stage whisper came again.

He nearly fell off his broom as the realization came to him. He cast a non-verbal homenum revelio. There was an extra person flying under a disillusionment charm over the playing field.

"Get to the ground!" he shouted to Harry. "Get everyone down and inside!"

He flew over toward Hannah and Ginny, shouting for them to land and get inside. They both looked at him like he was crazy. He swooped low and shouted at Neville to get everyone inside.

By now Harry had realized that the other seeker had not lost his mind, nor was it a trick. He looked around and realized what Draco had seen. He began shouting for everyone to land. And of course, because it was the Chosen One telling them, they did it. What the fuck ever.

The other person was darting in and out, weaving around so quickly it was hard to keep track of him. He had to at least be on a souped up Firebolt, or possibly one of those new Blitzkrieg models.

"Draco!" the voice shouted now, followed by a maniacal laugh.

Everyone had landed except Draco and Harry. They both zeroed in on the shadowy figure and gave chase like they were after the snitch. Suddenly Neville appeared in front of them, flying toward them, coming to their quarry from the other side. He was faster than any of them, with Harry falling behind more than Draco. He flew on a collision course with Neville, pulling up at the last moment, then straight up and upside down, looping around until he was behind his first pursuer.

Draco triedto turn, knowing he was in danger with the disillusioned flyer behind him. Before he could complete the manuever, a foot connected with the middle of his back. He came halfway off the broom, causing someone to scream from below. He recovered and whirled back around to look for the shadow again. At that moment there was an apparation crack, and the shadow was gone.

He and Harry landed, both breathing hard and shaking from the leftover adrenaline. Neville circled the playing field one more time before coming down. Granger ran over, pulled up the back of Draco's shirt, and started to cast a spell on his bruised back before Mr. Weasley grabbed her arm and stopped her.

"Wait! Kingsley will be here in a moment. He may need to look at that."

She nodded, mouthed "sorry" and walked back to Ron's side.

Luna threw her arms around Draco, careful to avoid where he had been kicked, and kissed his nose, then his mouth.

There was another apparation crack, and the Minister of Magic was runnng toward them.

"You two okay?" he asked Draco and Harry.

They both nodded.

"Nott?" he asked Draco only.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," the blond agreed.

Shacklebolt gave Arthur Weasley a significant look.

"Hey, everyone, let's go inside and have some dessert!" the red haired man started herding the crowd toward the door.

Shacklebolt gestured toward the chairs at one end of the table. He and Draco walked over and sat down.

Draco told him exactly what happened. As suspected, the older man wanted to see the bootprint on Draco's back. After looking, he cast a healing spell on it.

"I hate to say it, but he's fucking with you," Shacklebolt said as Draco turned back around.

"Yeah," Draco nodded. "If he had been serious about it, that would have been an avada in the middle of my back instead of his foot. He knew I fly well enough to recover from that."

Shacklebolt looked at him for a long moment. "I'm going to keep this under wraps for now. First of all, I don't need word getting out that Death Eaters are flying around invisible in an area with as many wizarding families as we have around here. Secondly, you don't need to be hassled by second rate aurors looking for a high profile collar. But..."

Draco looked at him expectantly.

"He's eventually going to get tired of the mind fucks. He's going to escalate this at some point. I can't lift the Maneo Domi charm off Malfoy Manor as long as your parents are under house arrest, but I am going to modify the Anti-Apparation Jinx to allow you and your parents through in case of emergency. I don't want anyone trapped in a house with an angry Death Eater."

"Thanks. I appreciate that." Draco told him sincerely.

"If you're okay, I'm going into the house now, go do the auror thing and ask a bunch of questions."

"Yeah, thanks." Draco stared into the space between him and the table.

The door opened and closed, but he didn't look up until he heard the footsteps crunching in the grass.

He had expected it to be Luna, or maybe Neville. It was the One Eared Twin.

He sat down across from Draco, deposited two glasses on the table, and poured a healthy serving of firewhiskey in each.

"Helluva of a world it is these days," he said, shoving one of the glasses toward Draco. "Neville Longbottom grew up to be the badass hero. Draco Malfoy stopped being a prick. And there's no more Gred and Forge."

The former prick raised his glass in a grim salute before knocking back half the contents in one gulp.


	29. It's a Death Eater

Percy found Bill with Ron and Harry in their Burrow bedroom.

"So where is everyone?" he asked.

"All the females who are still here are somewhere discussing the wedding," Ron answered. "Oliver and Seamus left. Neville took Hannah home."

"Her roommate is out of town," Harry interrupted. "Don't look for him to come back tonight."

"Charlie was somewhere with Dad and Shacklebolt," Ron continued. "And George is outside getting drunk with Malfoy." he rolled his eyes on the last statement.

"Shame the party ended the way it did," Percy shrugged. "I was going to suggest all the boys take Malfoy out for one last hurrah before his marriage. I know this great gentlemen's club..."

"How often do you go there?" Bill raised his eyebrow at his brother.

"Oh, just a couple times a month, you know..." Percy was suddenly flustered.

"Ooooh, when mum finds out you visit strippers more than her, you are so dead." Ron informed him.

* * *

><p>The entire following week was consumed with pulling the wedding together. There were final fittings for the dress robes, making sure every millimeter of the house and garden were absolutely perfect, caterers and florists and people he wasn't even sure what they did bustling about, and packages upon packages to be picked up and brought back to the Manor. Draco barely managed to squeeze in time to meet with McGonagall and sign the papers for his and Luna's new house.<p>

On Friday morning, Narcissa was outside, scouting the area where someone was soon going to arrive to set up the tent and outdoor tables and chairs. Draco and Lucius were hiding in the study again when they heard Narcissa scream.

It was not a I-just-saw-a-mouse scream. Not that there would ever be unwelcome rodents in Malfoy Manor. This was a scream of pure terror.

In a flash, Draco apparated out to the garden, Lucius right behind him. A Death Eater in full cloak and mask costume stood in front of them, wand at Narcissa's throat. Even if he had been wearing a clown suit, the Malfoy men would have recognized him.

Draco judged the distance between them, the placement of both of his parents, and how much of Nott he could get a clear shot at around his mother. There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell.

"Hello, Lucius," the older man spoke as if they had run into one another in Diagon Alley.

"Let go of my mother," Draco growled.

"I'm not going to hurt her," Nott's words belied his actions. "I just needed to get your attention so we could talk."

"If all you wanted was to talk, just send me a bloody owl," Lucius said evenly.

Theo Nott only laughed.

"Why are you doing this, Nott?" Lucius asked. "If you want me, here I am. Leave my wife and son out of this."

"No, Lucius," the Death Eater answered. "That's the whole point. I've been waiting a long time to have my revenge on the man who destroyed my family. You ruined my future, so I'm going to ruin yours."

The two former comrades stared at each other. Lucius' eyes narrowed and his lips tightened into a thin line.

"My father didn't kill Theo!" Draco shouted. "Vince Crabbe killed him. My father killed Vince. He avenged your son!"

Theo Senior had never looked at Draco, instead maintaining eye contact with the older Malfoy. "No, Lucius," he said. "Vince Crabbe killed _your_ son." Without another word, he let go of Narcissa and disapparated.

Draco turned to his father, whose face had gone as pale as his hair.

Narcissa stepped in front of her husband. "Is it true?" she asked brokenly. "Was Theo Junior your son?"

"He could have been," Lucius admittedly hoarsely.

Narcissa slapped his face and walked away.

* * *

><p>Draco settled his father back in the study with instructions to call Shacklebolt and inform him of their visitor.<p>

He found his mother in her bedroom. She was packing her trunk.

"Mother, no..." he gasped.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," she paused to kiss his cheek and ruffle his hair. "I know this is your weekend. I'll be here tonight and tomorrow to play hostess and I won't let on to anyone that anything is wrong. But tomorrow night, when you and Luna leave, I will too. I've already contacted the Ministry and Andromeda for permission to move to her house."

"But Mother, you've been with this man almost two thirds of your life. And what you're upset about happened 20 years ago. Just talk to him." he pleaded.

"I will," she nodded, tears in her eyes. "Later. But right now, the hurt is just too sharp."

He pulled her into a hug, and she clung to him for a moment. Then she pushed against his chest and stepped back, her composure already sliding back into place.

"Now. Your wedding eve dinner is only hours away, and there are still lists of things to be done. I need you to go out and make sure everything is set up outside, and that the big dining room is ready for tonight."

He nodded. Malfoys were all about the show.

He turned and started to leave. Her voice stopped him at the doorway.

"Draco, you are the best thing that's ever happened in my life." he turned to see her smiling at him sadly.

He grinned at her. "You're only saying that because your grandbaby isn't here yet."

Her smile got a little bigger. "No, you will still be number one. Because if I didn't have you, I wouldn't have a grandbaby."

He crossed the room to kiss her cheek before going downstairs.

* * *

><p>AN - Shout out to hpfreak1213, Embrace-Your-Insanity, and JustAnotherCrazyMind. Thank you for reviewing!


	30. The Night Before

Draco checked on the things his mother asked him to. By that time, his mother had returned downstairs to take charge of the preparations.

He found his father still in the study, a bottle of firewhiskey at his elbow and an old photo album in front of him. Draco walked up beside him, to see what his father was looking at.

They were pictures of one of Draco's birthday parties, when he was probably 5 or 6 years old. As he studied the images of his younger self enjoying cake, presents, and the grounds of Malfoy Manor transformed into a wonderland, he realized why his father looked at this particular set.

Theo and his mother were there.

Draco and Theo were together in many pictures, one white blond head beside one light brown. He looked for similarities, but he wasn't sure whether they were real, or in his head. Theo looked very much like his mother.

"Father," he began softly.

"Draco," his father interrupted. "I appreciate your concern, but I just want to be alone right now. I promise I won't show up drunk tonight."

Draco hesitated for a moment, but then nodded and left the study.

He went to the dining room and floo'ed to Grimmauld Place. When he stepped out of the fireplace on the other end, Neville dropped the remote.

"Draco!" he sprung from his chair. "What's wrong?"

The new arrival sank into the nearest chair. "My mother is leaving," he choked out.

The other three surrounded him in a flash.

"What do you mean your mother is leaving?" Neville was stunned.

He told them about Nott's visit, the bombshell, his mother's reaction, and his father drinking in the study. Harry and Neville didn't quite understand, never being able to remember their parents.

"But Draco," Harry pointed out. "You're getting married tomorrow. _You're_ going to be leaving."

"Yes, but when I come back, my parents are supposed to be there. Together. Your mum is not supposed to _leave_!" the last part came out as a wail, and he bit down on his lip to hold back the tears.

Neville and Harry just looked at one another. Ron patted Draco's arm. "That's right mate," he said gently. "You mum is not supposed to leave."

* * *

><p>All three travelled to Malfoy Manor an hour later to get ready for the dinner. Luna was already there. Draco went to her and hugged her for a long time, not speaking. When he finally released her, she looked a one of the house elves for a moment, then took his hand and led him to his bedroom.<p>

They sat on the bed, her arm around him, his head resting on the top of hers, while he repeated the story he had told earlier. She squeezed his hand, and when he finished, she kissed his nose.

"You can cry if you'd like," she informed him solemnly. "You let me cry for my mother. I will let you cry for yours."

He wrapped both arms around her but the tears didn't fall.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"I don't plan for you to find out," she answered as someone knocked on the door. "Come in, Tabby." she called.

The house elf Luna had looked at entered bearing a tray loaded with what else, chicken soup. Luna asked her to put it on the table and thanked her. The house elf apologized for hurrying away but she must return to the preparations for tonight.

Draco looked at his fiancee. "You can communicate silently with house elves too?"

"Of course," she said. "How do you think she knew you needed soup?"

* * *

><p>The wedding eve dinner was everything expected of a social event hosted by one of wizardng society's most elite families in honor of their only son. The food was exquisite, the finest wines flowed like water, and all three members of the Malfoy family were charming, personable, and the perfect hosts and hostess. Only someone close to him, like Neville or Luna would have noticed that Draco's smile never reached his eyes and his laugh was hollow.<p>

* * *

><p>Afterwards, he, Lucius, Shacklebolt, and Neville met in the study.<p>

Lucius looked to have aged twenty years in the past hours.

He stared into the middle distance, much the way his son did when he struggled with the darkness within.

"If you thought becoming a Death Eater was the one thing in my life I was the least proud of, you were wrong. We had just found out Narcissa was pregnant with Draco, and the healer had ordered her to stay in bed the whole time. I was afraid of what losing another child would do to her, physically and mentally. I was afraid of losing Cissy, that she could be the one who died this time instead of the baby. I was realizing I had gotten in over my head with becoming involved with Voldemort. My mother had just died and my father was talking about turning over control of the business interests to me, which was exciting and terrifying at the same time. I never intended to start anything with Angela. We just,... she was going through a rough time with Theo, her husband Theo. We just started talking one day. Then the next thing I knew, we were meeting for lunch to talk, and one thing led to another. We were only together a few times. We both knew it was wrong. It wasn't about sex. It was just ... comfort, having someone to listen and sympathize with what we were going through.

I heard she was pregnant not long before Draco was born. Of course I went and asked her, and she assured me that it was her husband's child. We had been careful, so I didn't have any reason not to believe her. Now I see that I should have expected exactly that answer from her. She knew I never would have left Cissy, so what else could she have done but pretended the boy was her husband's. They had wanted a child for years. Maybe I should have seen something there, especially once he and Draco were at Hogwarts together and he came over regularly. I did notice that he was left handed, as Draco and I are, but I didn't really think anything of it. A lot of people are left handed. He was so much like his mother. Maybe that should have been my clue; that there was nothing of Theo in him."

He had promised his son that he wouldn't be drunk at the dinner. That promise was now over and he was well into a bottle of firewhiskey.

Shacklebolt gestured toward a thick portfolio on the desk. "I pulled copies of any and all info we had on Nott and his wife. He had the mumps the summer between his second and third year at Hogwarts."

"What is a mump?" Draco asked.

"Mumps is a muggle childhood illness, along the lines of dragon pox. It's relatively unheard of now, but prior to the 1960s or so, it was fairly common." Shacklebolt explained. Draco and Neville nodded. Lucius just stared into his glass.

"The reason I mention it, is because when it was contracted by teenage boys, it frequently resulted in sterility." he paused to let his meaning to sink in.

"So Theo probably was..." Draco didn't even finish the thought. He didn't know how. My father's son? My brother?

Shacklebolt nodded. "Most likely."

There was a soft tap on the door before Luna poked her head in. "Hello Draco. And everyone. Your mother sent me to find you."

Lucius inhaled sharply and looked up at the mention of Narcissa.

"She wanted me to remind you that you're staying at Grimmauld Place tonight, but she needs you back here by 9am. And that you're supposed to floo into the study and stay away from your room, which is where I will be before the ceremony." she smiled sweetly at him.

Yeah, his mother and some crazy thing about the bride and groom not seeing each other before the wedding.

He crossed over to the door and slipped outside with her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

"Last chance," he whispered. "You'll have to sneak out tonight or you're stuck becoming Mrs. Draco Malfoy tomorrow."

She grinned back at him. "I think I'll hang around."


	31. The Big Day

All week long, Draco had been wishing for the whole wedding and everything to be over.

He awoke the morning of his wedding day wishing it would never end. Because after the wedding, his mother would be gone. Sure, she was going to be at Aunt Andromeda's house, and he could still see her any time. But she wouldn't be at home, curled in the blue armchair with a book and a cup of tea. Or fretting over her roses. Or sneaking upstairs with his father when they thought he wasn't paying attention.

Nothing would ever be the same.

Hannah met the guys for breakfast. They went to a small muggle diner Harry and Ron had been to earlier in the week. Another advantage to the whole auror muggle studies thing - they were finding all the best places to eat outside Diagon Alley.

Afterwards, they stopped by Hannah's flat to pick up her dress, then all floo'ed to the study at the Manor. Lucius was waiting for them. He was sober this morning, but his words and movements seemed mechanical. He directed Hannah to where the ladies were dressing, and the guys to one of the guest rooms to change. The new dress robes had been laid out for them, including a set his mother had insisted on buying for the Weasel, not wanting him to be left out when his two roommates got top shelf new suits. Or at least that had been her excuse. She was probably afraid of what he would have worn otherwise, having heard of his atrocious fashion sense.

The dressed quickly and in relative silence. Neville cast some sort of spell on Harry's hair, which was moderately successful in making it lay down. Ron excused himself to go downstairs, leaving the groom with his two best men.

They chattered over nothing for a few minutes, all of them nervous.

Neville looked at Draco. "You ready for this?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Doesn't mean that it's not scaring the hell out of me though."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You lived with Death Eaters. Voldemort _hugged_ you. You're afraid of promising to love a girl in front of other people?"

Draco rolled his eyes back. "This from the man who has yet to ask Ginny on a proper date."

"I'm giving her some time!" Harry protested. The other two shook their heads at him.

There was a soft tap at the door. Lucius put his head in and asked for a moment with his son. The hair on the back of Draco's neck raised. Lucius Malfoy didn't _ask_ for anything in his own house. He informed others of what they were going to do.

Neville and Harry told Draco they would meet him downstairs, spoke politely to his father, and closed the door behind them.

Lucius stood facing his son for a long moment before he began to speak. "You know, over the years, I never gave that much thought to your wedding day. But when I did think about it, I just presumed you would marry the daughter of a society family, in the grandest wedding of the year, work beside me at Malfoy Industries, and become the man all the other young wizards only wished they could be. I never imagined that our family would be social outcasts. I never imagined that you would be going to Hogwarts to teach, even though I always knew you were brilliant enough to do so." Coming from Lucius' lips, teaching school sounded as dignified as digging graves or herding goats. "I certainly never imagined the sons of my old enemies beside you at the altar. And I never imagined that I wouldn't be sharing this day with your mother, physically standing by her side but miles apart inside." he broke off.

Draco wondered what he should say, but his father continued.

I'm sorry," Lucius Malfoy apologized to his son for the first time in his life. "I'm sorry that I made the decisions that led to you almost being killed and being thrown into prison. I'm sorry I screwed things up with your mother. And mostly, I'm sorry that I haven't told you more often how proud I am of the person you've become."

Then something even more unexpected happened. Lucius Malfoy hugged his son.

There was another soft knock at the door. Draco opened it to find his mother, and ushered her in.

"Oh," she stopped just inside the doorway, and started to turn around. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize your father was here."

"Cissy," the older man's voice pleaded. "Please don't go. Draco and I were finished talking. I'll leave and let you have some time with him."

He walked past her toward the door, hesitating a moment, looking at her. She resolutely looked at the floor and didn't raise her head until the door closed behind him.

"Draco," his mother wrapped her arms around him and put her head against his chest. "I love you baby. I'm so sorry about everything. I wish I had been able to protect you better from ... all that happened. I just want you to be happy from here forward." she stepped back and looked at him. "Luna does make you happy. I can see it in you, and it makes me love her, because she loves my son. Be good to her. The two of you will have a long and happy life together."

"Mother, please talk to him," he whispered.

"I will. I told you I would." she nodded. "But not today."

"Now," she smiled at him. "It's showtime."

He followed her down the stairs, down the back service hall, around to the little room near the drawing room where Neville, Harry, and Shacklebolt waited for him. The Minister of Magic was officiating the ceremony at Mr. Weasley's suggestion. He thought it would be symbolic, showing that the Malfoy family, or Draco more specifically, had been forgiven by the Ministry.

Shacklebolt offered his congratulations and best wishes, and then launched into a description of where each of his undercover aurors were located. Shacklebolt had been afraid Nott would pull something at the wedding or recption. Draco thought it would be too obvious, but better safe than sorry, and had agreed to have almost the entire auror department present.

What felt like hours later, it was finally time to go in to the ceremony. Draco had to admit, his mother had outdone herself. The huge room was filled with flowers and candles. Most of wizarding society sat on the groom's side of the room. Most of the bride's side was filled with red heads. Draco bit down on his lip to supress a giggle from nerves and the thought that Voldemort had tried to take over the world the wrong way. He just needed to breed like a Weasley, because in another few generations, they could out-populate a small country.

His parents were seated in the front row, a polite distance between them. On the opposite side of the aisle, where the bride's mother should have been, were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

The orchestra began, and the huge door at the back of the room opened. Granger came down the aisle first, and even Draco had to admit she was beautiful. The front of her hair was pinned up, with curls trailing over both shoulders. Her dress was a soft butter yellow, tight to the waist with a full floor length skirt. As she reached the halfway point of the aisle, the door opened again, and the Weaselette started her journey down the aisle. Neville elbowed Harry. She also looked fantastic, with a matching dress and similar hairstyle.

Once the both reached their places at the altar, the music changed. The doors opened again, and Luna entered the room on her father's arm. Draco's breath hitched. Her hair was all pinned up, and she wore the Malfoy family tiara. Her dress was a very simple Greek goddess style, with the skirt beginning just below her breasts so the baby bump barely showed. She smiled at him, and everything was right with the world.

They promised to love, honor, and cherish each other. His mother cried. Molly Weasley cried. Xeno Lovegood cried. Professor McGonagall cried. The Weasel cried. They were pronounced man and wife and Draco kissed his bride. The Minister of Magic officially introduced Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy. They posed for enough pictures to fill a dozen of his mother's catalogs. They danced and ate and hugged half the freaking planet at the reception. The One Eared Twin brought out a picture from the muggle children's movie Beauty and the Beast and showed everyone how much the lead character looked like Hermione, and of course, what did that say about her date, the twin's youngest brother. Luna winked at Draco, and he realized that maybe Hermione's dress and hairstyle wasn't a coincidence. Weaselette caught the bouquet.

Finally, it was time for them to portkey off to their abbreviated honeymoon. They were staying at one of the Malfoy vacation homes, this one in Italy, until Monday. Draco had promised to take her on a proper trip next summer.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Luna was looking in her luggage for something to wear, despite Draco's insistence she looked just fine in his shirt.<p>

"Oh my," he heard her say.

He looked into the walk in closet to find her sitting in the floor with a book. She held it out to him.

"Ginny told me she was putting a book in my things to help us with our homework. I don't think this would cover any subject matter at Hogwarts."

The book was The Kama Sutra.

Draco decided when they got back, he was going to hug that girl. And have a long talk with Harry.


	32. The Next Big Day

On Monday evening, Draco and Luna came home to what Neville had joking named Malfoy Junior Manor. The house was comfortable and functional as it was, but Narcissa had reminded them that she would be off house arrest just before the new year, and she would be coming to decorate.

Even thought Tabby and Hinkey, Luna's two favorites of the Malfoy house elves, had come with them, Draco gave them the night off. He and Luna made cheese sandwiches and of course, chicken soup, and ate in the kitchen. After all, the next day was Draco's first day of teaching at Hogwarts, and he needed all the negativity out of his head.

The next morning they dressed, her in her Ravenclaw uniform and him all in black, other than a Slytherin tie. McGonagall had appointed him deputy Slytherin house head, pretty much by default, as he and Slughorn were currently the only two professors who had been members of that particular house.

They floo'ed into McGonagall's office, and went downstairs to join breakfast in the Great Hall. They walked in holding hands, and the entire room fell silent. Draco kissed Luna's temple and sent her off to the Ravenclaw table, as he took his position at the teacher's table. Most of the teachers smiled or nodded. Slughorn was the only one who greeted him heartily.

Draco ate silently, watching for any sign of trouble at the Ravenclaw table. Weaselette was almost back to back with Luna and he wondered if that was deliberate. Part of him truly hoped so, and that she was listening for anyone to step out of line.

Draco's morning classes were first year students. No one gave him any trouble, mostly because they were so excited to be finally getting on brooms they probably wouldn't have cared if Satan had shown up to teach them. There was one small mishap with a student falling off his broom while showing off in the second group, but Draco easily caught him with a Levicorpus and left him dangling upside down in midair while lecturing the class about not showing off when you don't even know what you're doing. He even managed to do so without saying any words that McGonagall would have taken 10 points from Slytherin for using.

He was actually starting to feel pretty good about this teaching thing, until he brought his students inside for lunch. He walked up behind a Slytherin girl screaming in Luna's face outside the Great Hall.

"...deserve each other! I'm sure you seduced him thinking he would let you escape if you got him off a few times. And he was glad to take what you were offering. But then you end up knocked up, so you blackmail him into marrying you! Well, I've got news for you bitch, after you pop that kid out, he's gonna throw you out on the street, and you won't be taking a dime..."

"Fifty points from Slytherin," he said calmly, using every bit of control he could manage. "Even if it was true, that subject matter is totally inappropriate for public discussion."

She whirled on him. "Fifty fucking points? But you're a Slytherin!"

"And another ten for the F word, Miss Greengrass," he managed to smirk at her.

"Don't you mean Astoria?" she asked venomously. "That's what you called me six months ago!"

"I wasn't a teacher then," he refused to take her bait. "And if you say one more word, it will be a week's detention and another fifty points."

She and her friend stomped into the Great Hall, leaving him with Luna, who smiled at him. "Thank you Draco. You handled that quite well. I do believe you were meant to be a professor."

He stole a quick kiss before opening the door for her. "It's not easy. But I'm trying."

His after lunch class however, was going to be a different story. It was remedial flying, consisting of students who had not mastered flying in their first year. There were a dozen girls, evenly mixed among the houses, and four boys, all Hufflepuffs.

"Draco!" one of the girls greeted him.

"That's Professor Malfoy, Miss Gibson." he corrected pointedly. "You didn't call me by my first name last year, and you're not going to start now."

"Whatever," one of the other girls commented to her friend. "He's only two years older than I am, I don't know why he thinks that makes him qualified to be our professor."

"It doesn't," he informed her with a smirk. "What qualifies me to be your professor is the fact I know how to fly a broom and you don't."

After that, the whole group was more cooperative, although still not agreeable.

The rest of the afternoon was taken up with Slytherin and then Hufflepuff quidditch practice. Draco actually had fun with it, as he had gotten in some playing time with them while working on drills and trick plays.

He and Luna had dinner separately in the Great Hall again. He got a report from Weaslette that the Hopkirk girl had been taunting Luna again at dinner, but Luna brushed it off as nothing. Draco checked with McGonagall that they were good to leave and then floo'ed home. Luna worked on her homework, curled up on this thing his mother had bought her from a muggle catalog called a beanbag chair. It looked like a giant purple rock with one side caved in, but Luna insisted it was quite comfortable. He floo called Neville and Harry, and then his mother, as he had promised to let them know how his first day went. He then settled down in the armchair with _Quidditch Through the Ages_ to make some notes about plays to go over with the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw teams the next day.

The floo activated again, but to his surprise, the caller was Mr. Weasley.

"Oh, hi Draco and Luna, how are both of you getting along?"

"We're fine," Luna smiled at the fireplace. "It was a nice first day back," Draco's head snapped around to look at her sharply on that one. "and we're just working on some homework now."

"That's good. I'm sorry to bother you, but did you see Ginny this afternoon?" the older man asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes, we saw her several times," Draco told him. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah, well, I don't know. Probably not, but Ginny's hand on the clock has been pointing at Mortal Peril since mid-afternoon, and her mother insisted that I should check on her." he shrugged and bounced his head from side to side.

"Her what?" Draco turned to Luna, who waved her hand at him in an I'll-tell-you-later gesture.

"Maybe Nargles have been playing with your clock, Mr. Weasley," Luna said. "She walked us to the floo before we came home and everything was fine. She was going back to her room to do homework."

"Yes, I'm sure things are fine. Sorry to have bothered you." Mr. Weasley signed off.

* * *

><p>That night, as they started to fall asleep curled up with Draco's arm around Luna's waist, he felt their baby kick against his hand for the first time.<p>

* * *

><p>AN -I've had the next chapter written for a week, so if you ask nicely, I might go ahead and put it up tonight. ;)


	33. The Invasion of Hogwarts Part 1

A little after midnight, Draco woke with a pain in his arm. As he struggled toward consciousness, he realized it was more than a pain.

His arm was burning.

No fucking way.

He sat up, immediately clear headed. The Dark Mark was glowing red.

A cold dread filled his chest. He jumped out of bed and practically ran to the window.

The matching sign hung in the clouds above Hogwarts.

He bounded back across the room, summoning a pair of sweatpants and both their wands.

"Luna," he gently shook his wife's shoulder. "Luna, wake up! You've got to apparate me into Hogwarts!"

She blinked at him, momentarily confused. "But we've never tried…"

"The Death Eaters are in the fucking school!" he shouted.

She threw back the covers, grabbed her wand, and leapt into his chest, wrapping her arms and legs around him.

"Where?" she asked.

"The teachers' hall."

A heartbeat later, that was exactly where they stood, a quickly murmured lumos casting the only light in the dark corridor.

"Are you sure…" she began, climbing down.

"They're here," he pronounced grimly. "I need you to go home…"

"If they're here…"

"Listen to me!" he grabbed both of her arms. "Please. I need you to call Hagrid, the Ministry, the Order, anyone and everyone you can get here to help."

She nodded, kissed him quickly, then stepped back and vanished.

He ran from door to door, pounding on one and moving on to the next.

McGonagall stepped into the hallway. "What on earth…Mr. Malfoy, what…?" she gestured at her newest professor, standing bare-chested and barefoot in front of her.

"The Death Eaters are here! In the school!"

"Are you sure?" she asked.

He shoved his still-glowing arm in front of her. "Luna is contacting the Ministry and the Order."

She nodded, and began shouting to the other staff members who were stumbling out of their chamber doors, instructing them to go to each house common room.

Draco set off toward the Slytherin dungeon at a run, looking over his shoulder periodically at Slughorn, who was doing a surprisingly good job of not falling too far behind. When they reached the wall, he had to wait a moment for the old man to catch up and catch his breath enough to mutter the password.

The common room was silent and dark. There was no sign anyone had been there in hours.

They made their way back to the Great Hall. The other teachers reported the same thing, that all was calm and peaceful in the common rooms and in McGonagall's office, where members of the Order and Ministry officials had already begun arriving. Shacklebolt stood in the center of the group, with three aurors, Mr. Weasley, Neville, Harry, and Ron.

"Malfoy," he nodded. "Tell me what's going on."

"I woke up with my Dark Mark burning and glowing. I looked out the window and saw the Dark Mark over the school, so I got here as fast as I could and woke everyone." his heart was pounding and his mind was racing. There had to be something he was missing.

"So we got dragged out of bed for a false alarm?" Robards whined.

"No," Shacklebolt shook his head. "If they threw a Dark Mark over the school, they're here. Or they were."

Draco and Harry looked at one another. "The astronomy tower." They said in unison. They both ran from the Hall, with the other two auror trainees and Shacklebolt right behind them.

Halfway up the stairs, they caught the first whiff of a metallic scent, and Draco knew, sickeningly, that he had been right.

It was the smell of blood.

At the third stair from the top, Draco stopped and turned, momentarily surprised to find at some point Neville had overtaken Harry and was right behind him. He gestured for Neville to get down. Draco also dropped to the steps, cast a non-verbal shield over himself, and commando crawled the rest of the way to the doorway.

His defensive posturing was all for naught. The Death Eaters were long gone.

The girl on the floor wasn't going anywhere. She was sprawled on the floor on her back, blood everywhere, eyes staring sightlessly toward the ceiling. Her own Ravenclaw uniform was shredded, but there was a Slytherin tie knotted around her throat.

Neville conjured a bag and threw up in it.

Draco stumbled back down to the third step, sitting heavily, dropping his head in his hands, concentrating on breathing slowly and evenly so he didn't lose control of his own stomach.

"Does anyone know who she is?" Shacklebolt asked as he squeezed around Draco and Neville.

"Emily Hopkirk," Neville sighed. "She's a friend of Hannah's. Well, _was_ a friend of Hannah's."

Draco was not at all surprised.

Draco, Neville, Ron, and Harry made their way down the stairs and back to the Great Hall with instructions to send the aurors up and not to tell anyone anything except that they had found evidence that the Death Eaters had been in the Astronomy Tower.

When they arrived, they found an uproar.

The Head Girl was missing.


	34. The Invasion of Hogwarts Part 2

"Sometimes There Just Aren't Enough Rocks."

* * *

><p>Neville sent a patronus back to alert Shacklebolt.<p>

Harry was hyperventilating. Ron ran to his parents. McGonagall stormed over to them demanding to know what was going on.

Draco leaned against the wall. "It doesn't make sense," he said more to himself than anyone else.

"I take it Miss Weasley was not in the Astronomy Tower," the headmistress asked with pursed lips.

"No," Neville whispered, shaking his head.

"But someone else was?" Granger deduced, putting her arm around Harry.

Neville didn't meet her gaze. "Shacklebolt will be here as soon as he can. We can't say anything more."

Draco was still running everything through his mind. He looked at Neville. "It doesn't make sense. Why would they take Ginny?"

An entire throng of red heads was moving toward the group by the door.

"Why would they _not_ take Ginny?" Granger asked, trying to follow his reasoning.

"Because I don't have a reason to kill Ginny," Draco answered her honestly.

The Weasel dove at him in a flying tackle. This time Draco was ready, nerves still on alert from the events of the evening. As they fell backwards, he brought his foot up into Ron's waist, flipping Ron over him so that they landed almost head to head on the floor. Draco whirled around, grabbing Ron before he could catch his breath, flipping him over onto his stomach and pinning him much the same way he had Shacklebolt at the Manor. Scary Weasley and the One Eared Twin both leapt at them, stopping when Draco hissed "I'm not going to hurt him. But I'm not going to let him hurt me either."

They both nodded.

"Get off him nice and slow," Scary said. "He won't try to hurt you, because if he does, _I'll_ hurt him."

The One Eared Twin held out his hand. Draco hesitated for a moment, then let go of Weasel's chin and accepted his brother's help up. Scary pulled the Weasel off the floor mostly by the back of his shirt.

"Are you mental?" Ron shouted at his oldest brother. "The Death Eaters came here because of him! This is all his fault!" he pulled his fist back to throw a punch.

Scary easily caught Ron's arm in midair. "And he's very sorry about that." He growled back. "But throwing him off the Astronomy Tower isn't going to help us find Ginny!"

Draco really could have done without that reference.

Harry's whole body was shaking by this point. Mrs. Weasley had tears streaming down her face. Mr. Weasley looked absolutely grim.

Luna walked over, putting her arms around Draco's waist and her head on the back of his shoulder.

"What do we know?" Neville asked the group in general.

"Our Head Boy over there, Parker Whittington, had been with his girlfriend and was late meeting Ginny to do patrols. So in order to get them done more quickly, he suggested the two of them split up. Ginny took the upper floors and he took the lower ones. She never returned to her room, and the teachers walked all the halls up there and saw no sign of her." Mr. Weasley gave his wife a one armed hug as she choked back a sob. "They've done a preliminary head count. She and a Ravenclaw seventh year girl are the only ones not accounted for. Emily Hopkirk. Her roommate said someone slipped Emily a note between classes this afternoon to meet on the astronomy tower but she didn't know who."

Granger looked at Draco. "There's your reason for taking Ginny. She saw something she shouldn't have during her patrol."

He sighed and nodded. It made sense.

"But how did they get in and out?" Scary asked.

Draco felt as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on his head. He straightened, shoving the heels of his hands against his eyes and shook his head. "No." Luna's arms tightened around his waist.

Everyone was starting to look at him. He locked eyes with Harry. "It couldn't survive fiendfyre, could it?"

The One Eared Twin looked at Scary. "I'm just taking a stab at it here, but I'm thinking someone forgot to lock the door he let them through last time."

Luna piped up behind him. "Draco, perhaps it's because this is the beginning place of everyone's magical life, or because the greatest wizards of all time have passed through here, or maybe because this place is just full of magic on its own, but the most extraordinary things do happen here."

Pushing her off gently, he headed for the door and made the long climb to the seventh floor. By the time the Room of Requirement doors appeared, the three auror trainees, Shacklebolt, Scary, and Twin were standing around.

Obviously, no one had been in the room since the night of the battle. Thick smoke still hovered in the room, causing coughing and watery eyes. Neville cast a bubblehead charm on himself, and the others soon did the same.

Most of the contents of the room were somewhere between singed and completely incinerated. Stacks of objects burned beyond recognition littered the floor and black ash marks streaked the walls. But it looked as if the explosion from the horcrux had blown out the fire, leaving sections around the perimeter of the room untouched by fire.

Including the area where the Vanishing Cabinet stood.

It was so wrong. Everything else on the fucking planet had been touched by the war. The damn cabinet looked exactly as it had the night he let the Death Eaters in.

Draco picked up a golf club hanging on the high tank of an old fashioned toilet with a broken bowl. Taking a swing that almost caught Harry's head, Draco hit the cabinet as hard as he could.

The blow made a small irregular indention in the wood.

"I fucking hate you!" he shouted.

Furiously, he struck the cabinet over and over, the golf club making small dings and chips in the dark finish. With each blow, he cursed Voldemort with every foul word he'd ever heard and some he didn't realize he knew. By the time Shacklebolt and Scary finally wrestled the golf club away, he was sobbing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he repeated over and over.

Neville pulled Draco into a hug. "We know," he soothed. "No one blames you."

"Incarcerous!" Shacklebolt wrapped ropes around the cabinet.

"Minister," Twin grinned at him. "There's a more effective way to keep anyone from coming through."

"How?" the older man narrowed his eyes at them.

"The same way you keep Ron in the cupboard until mum finds him," Scary smirked.

The two older Weasley brothers turned the cabinet over, with the door against the floor.

Draco decided he actually might like those two.

There was really nothing else to be done there, so the group left the room.

Draco shoved his hand through his hair and turned to Neville. "Look, my, um, … breakdown in there…"

"Will never be spoken of again," Neville finished for him. "I've just gotten people convinced I'm not gay."

They were halfway down the first staircase when Neville suddenly stopped and said "She's still in the castle."


	35. Finders Keepers

Everyone whirled to look at Neville. He shrugged.

"Think about it. Whoever gave Emily that note did it in the middle of the afternoon."

Weasel nodded. "Ginny's hand on the clock moved during the afternoon."

"That means he was already in the castle then," Neville continued. "So he hides out until he goes up in the tower and kills Emily. He throws the Dark Mark and summons Draco. He's got to get out of here before Draco gets here, because he doesn't want us to find him, he wants us to find Draco and a dead body. So he's on his way back up to the Room of Requirement to escape and runs across Ginny. He knocks her out, ties her up, something. But he can't take her with him. Nott is a big guy. He and Ginny wouldn't fit in the cabinet together. He can't send her through first, because there's no one waiting on the other side to pull her out. He can't bring her after him, because there's no one on this end to put her in the cabinet. So the only thing he can do is hide her somewhere here."

Neville always was the logical one.

Twin turned to Harry. "Tell me you have the map."

"Of course I have the map," Harry visibly brightened, pulling something out of his pocket.

"What map?" Shacklebolt, Draco, and Scary all asked.

"Just a little something that Professor McGonagall does _not_ need to know about," Twin informed them as Harry waved his wand over the parchment and said "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map appeared to the amazement of the ones who had never seen it before. And to their great relief, Ginny's dot was just off the staircase, on the sixth floor. They all raced down the stairs.

Weasel reached the spot first, yanking aside a tapestry to find Ginny, unconscious but thankfully still breathing, on the floor of a hidden alcove. He raised his wand, but Draco grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

"Let Harry do it," he whispered to Ron.

Harry stepped up and cast a renervate. She blinked a few times and started to sit up. Harry rushed forward, dropped to his knees, pulled her to him, and kissed her.

"Oy, that's my _sister_," Weasel said softly.

"Yeah, but she's going to end up with someone," Draco grinned at him. "Would you rather it be him, or someone like me?"

Weasel paled at the thought.

"You can come up for air now," Twin called, as Harry was still kissing Ginny.

Harry broke the lip lock and leaned back, still not taking his eyes off her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Ginny nodded, staring into Harry's eyes.

"About time," Neville rolled his eyes.

"You didn't tell her you love her," Draco teased.

Harry looked over his shoulder. "Don't you have a wife to get back to?"

"Gin, can you walk?" Scary asked.

Harry helped her to her feet. "Yeah, I think I'm okay, just stunned." She answered, leaning against Harry's side.

They started back down to the Great Hall.

"What happened?" Shacklebolt asked.

"I was on patrol," Ginny said. "I heard what sounded like running footsteps, but there was no one there. Then I was hit with a spell, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in that cubbyhole."

"Disillusioned," Draco muttered. Shacklebolt nodded.

As they reached the landing between the third and second floors, the Minister stopped Harry for a moment. "I think it would be a good idea for you to hold onto that map. For official auror business, of course. We won't say anything to the headmistress about it."

Harry nodded.

"Oh good, we don't have to obliviate him," the Twin said behind them.

Ginny's parents ran halfway down the hall to throw their arms around her and Harry, who refused to release her hand.

Draco walked past the touching little happy family scene, where all the Weasleys were hugging one another and smiling and everything was ok. He walked past the Great Hall, through the Entrance Hall, ignoring Luna calling his name, and out the front door of the castle.


	36. Walking Away

Luna found Draco in the courtyard, back pressed against a corner of the wall, legs bent in front of him, staring up at the fading stars.

"You're not a monster," she said in answer to his thoughts, sitting down beside him.

"The scene up there," he pointed to the top of the astronomy tower. "begs to differ."

"You didn't kill that girl," she tried to put her arm around his shoulders, but he pushed her hand away.

"Not directly. But I made a way for the person who did to get in here."

"You had no idea that was going to happen," she told him softly. "You would never willingly hurt someone else."

"I'm killing people by just being alive," he drew his arms around his waist, drawing further into himself.

"No one blames you for what that horrible man is doing," she insisted.

"Luna, just stop!" he snarled, finally looked at her. "I heard what Creevey's mother was telling McGonagall when I came up to the Great Hall just now. They let a Death Eater into the school, and in less than 24 hours, they have a Dark Mark in the air and a dead student. She's already lost one son to them and she's not going to lose another."

"How did she know?" Luna wrinkled her brow.

"The whole fucking town of Hogsmede saw the Dark Mark. It's already hit the gossip trail. We won't need to have an owl post delivery in the morning because all the parents will be here to get their kids by then." He laid his arm on his leg, looking at the Dark Mark.

"But surely Professor McGonagall can talk to…"

"And tell them what?" he interrupted. "That some crazy man is killing people and trying to set me up for it? That's supposed to make them feel better while they're looking over their shoulder to see if they're next?"

She kissed his cheek. "It's almost dawn. Classes are cancelled this morning. Come home and get some rest. We'll sort all this out afterwards."

Sighing, he stood. She stepped closer, pressing herself against him, arms around his waist, and apparated them both home.

As soon as they landed in the sitting room, Tabby came waddling in with a tray with a bowl of chicken soup. Draco didn't even argue, just told the house elf to put the tray on the table and go back to bed. He went into the kitchen and came back with a bottle of firewhiskey, uncorking it and taking a long drink.

Luna yawned. He came and put his arm around her, leading her toward the bedroom. "You're the one who needs some rest," he told her gently, kissing her temple.

"But Draco, you haven't eaten your soup," she protested.

"I'm just going to tuck you in and then I'll come back in here," he assured, stepping behind her as they went through the bedroom door.

He waited while she changed into one of his t-shirts and pajama pants, then crawled onto the bed beside her. He brought his hand up to her face, kissing her long and slow.

When they finally broke, he looked into her eyes and whispered "I love you so much."

She kissed his nose.

He sat up, leaned over, tugged up her shirt and kissed the baby bump. "I love you too," he told his son.

He turned back to her, intending to kiss her again, but instead fled the room without another word when he saw the tears in her eyes.

She knew he was telling her goodbye.

* * *

><p>Luna woke the next morning to find a cold bowl of untouched chicken soup on the table with five sealed parchments. She opened the one addressed to her.<p>

_My Dear Luna, _

_I wish everything could have been different. I wish my father had never fallen in with Voldemort, and that I had never gotten caught up in the things that happened during the war. There will never be a day in my life that I won't regret things I've done in the past few years. I wish I could have been a normal schoolboy who would have noticed a pretty girl a year behind him and courted you properly. But the truth is, if the war had not happened, had I not done terrible things, I never would have gone back into Hogwarts for you. I would have written off any notice I had taken of you as a passing fancy and never seen you again, unless we ran into one another in Diagon Alley or on Platform 9 3/4 sending our children off to school. I would have finished school and gone on to work with my father and my mother would be setting me up with some pure blood socialite so I could have a huge society wedding and produce a brilliantly spoiled heir to the dynasty. My life would have been perfect by the standards I was raised to believe. There is a part of me that will always be glad things didn't turn out perfectly, because you mean more to me than I ever believed possible. That's why I have to go now. I can't stay here and wait for Nott to come for you and our son. I'm telling myself it's because I don't want to see any more innocent women hurt and to stop the bloodshed, but it's not true. Because when I find him, I will kill him. I will become the monster I've always been afraid of being, because I'm more afraid of a world without you in it. I plan to be back in time to be the first person to hold my son. We both know there's a real possibility that things won't turn out that way, and I may not make it home at all. If that happens, go to my parents. They will take care of you both. I've left a letter for my son, for when he's old enough. It's folded up in Neville's letter. I should have asked you first I know, but I asked Neville in his letter to be our son's godfather. You can choose whomever you want for his godmother. I think it would be hilarious to ask Potter, and I would love to see the look on his face if you did. Take care of yourself and our little one. I love you more than I can say._

_Draco_

* * *

><p>Three days later Draco sat in his room at a disreputable inn at the wrong end of Knockturn Alley. He studied old issues of The Daily Prophet, memorizing any information mentioned on Theo Nott Senior.<p>

Someone knocked on the door.

Actually, knocked was not the right word.

Someone was pounding rather insistently on the door.

He had not told anyone he was here. In fact, he had rented the room while disguised as Blaise's half brother, using a false name. He hadn't ordered takeout. He wondered who was on the other side of the door, and whether he should drink more polyjuice before opening it. Or whether he should open it at all. He didn't have to wonder very long.

Someone quite rudely kicked the door in.


	37. Going Back

Draco dove to the floor, throwing a petrificus totalus at the figure in the doorway. The body hit the floor with a thud. Before the dust cleared, and there was plenty of dust because this place was not exactly the Waldorf Astoria, another shadow stood in the doorway. He fired a stinging hex at that one. The man roared and dove at him. They wrestled on the floor for a moment before Draco was able to get off a stunning curse. He was trying to extricate himself from the figure on the floor when he realized there were three more sets of feet in the hallway.

He took a deep breath, thought of Luna, and waited for red or green sparks to come from one of the wands. Instead, one cast rainbow colored lights. A voice whispered for him to calm down. He relaxed for a fraction of a second until he realized he was being imperiused. He fought the effects of the spell, clearing his head and raising his wand toward the three men in the hall.

Before he could speak, one of them threw blinding white sparks from his wand. When the light faded, the dust had cleared, the room was brighter, and he could see what was going on around him.

"Honey, we're home," the One Eared Twin announced, stepping into the room.

Harry and Scary followed him in. Draco looked from side to side. He and Weasel were still half wrapped around one another and Neville was still petrified. He cast a finite incantatem and sat up. Harry helped him off the floor while Scary repaired the door.

Scary took the one chair in the room, while the Twin leaned against the door, Harry perched on the dresser, Draco and Neville sat on the side of the bed, and The Weasel still sat in the floor.

"Bloody hell, Malfoy!" Ron grumbled. "You could have killed me!"

"You're the one who jumped on me," Draco smirked. "Maybe next time you should try buying your date a drink first."

"Eww," Twin made a face. "Didn't need that visual."

"Harry, just a bit of advice here," Scary looked at him, smirking a little himself. "Not a good idea to imperius an experienced occlumens."

Draco ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry about all that. Needless to say, the lot of you weren't who I was expecting."

They all looked at each other for a minute before Draco asked "So would anyone like to tell me what you're doing here and why you kicked the door in?"

"The door was Ron's idea," Harry jerked his thumb at the redhead on the floor while Neville handed Draco a piece of parchment.

_Neville, _

_Draco left this for you. I'm afraid he's been spending too much time with Gryffindors. He's gone off to do something noble and stupid. _

_Luna_

"Did you…" Draco began.

"No, I didn't let her read what you wrote me. As for my godson, the first thing I'm going to do for him is drag his father back home." Neville folded his arms, as if daring an argument.

"I'm not going back. I can't go back." Draco sighed. "I'm not going to sit and wait for Nott to come for Luna and the baby."

"Oh, but you can walk out and leave her defenseless?" Neville snapped.

"Luna is far from defenseless!" Draco shouted back. "She could probably take out any or all of us! And the house elves were there, and they certainly wouldn't let anything happen to her!"

"Justify it however you want," Neville answered stubbornly. "You're still trying to fucking hide from your problems."

"Let us help you," Scary said softly.

"No," Draco shook his head. "I'm not putting anyone else at risk. This is my fight. No one is putting their life on the line for me."

Ron looked at Harry. "Your turn to have this discussion."

"Draco," Harry said. His subject looked up quickly, as it was still unusual for Potter to call him by his first name. "First of all, it isn't your fight. It's your father's. But we understand why he can't take it up. But beyond that, this fight is bigger than you are. Except George, we've each got a wife or girlfriend he could target."

"I'm just here to kick Death Eater arse," Twin shrugged.

"And he's targeted Hogwarts, which is very personal to all of us," Harry continued. "And you're family now."

"We all love Luna," the Weasel grinned. "Which means we're stuck with you now."

"Fuck you," Draco rolled his eyes.

"Would you please stop with the sex talk with my brother?" Twin covered his ear.

"We've got to find him a girlfriend," Scary rolled his own eyes.

Draco turned to Scary. "You've got a kid on the way too. Go home."

Scary looked at him very seriously. "No, you're missing it. I have a pregnant veela at home. I'm safer here."

Draco shook his head sadly. "There's too much at stake here. I appreciate what you're doing, but you all need to go home."

"Malfoy, we're serious," Twin said. "We _want_ to help you. You can't do this alone. You're setting yourself up for slaughter."

"We meant the part about you being part of our family," Harry told him sincerely, "Family isn't the people you're born to. They're the people you choose to make a part of your life."

Draco nodded, looking at the floor, unwilling to meet five intense sets of eyes. "How's Luna?" he finally forced himself to ask.

Neville shrugged. "She's ok. I've got her staying at the Manor at night. She didn't like the idea of being alone, and I don't blame her. And besides, it keeps your father from totally drinking himself into oblivion every night. She's worried about you. She says everything is fine and you will be home soon, but there's doubt in her eyes." He narrowed his eyes at Draco. "You could have owled her, you know, let her know you're okay so she wouldn't worry about you."

Draco looked away. "I was afraid she would ask me to come home." He replied honestly. "And I didn't want to tell her no."

After a moment of awkward silence, he forced himself to ask another question that needed an answer. "What's going on at Hogwarts?"

Harry answered him. "A lot of parents have pulled their children out. But there are more there now than there were after Christmas last year. Teachers and volunteers from the Ministry are escorting students to and from class. The vanishing cabinet is there, locked from the outside, but there's no indication that anyone has tried to use it. Shacklebolt has had people watching the one at Borgin & Burkes."

"No sign of Nott?"

"No, he's apparently been behaving himself the last few days," Harry said.

Draco nodded. "I've been looking for him. Scouting old Death Eater hideouts, places with connections to his family, and I've struck out. Maybe I should stay underground, because if I'm not around, maybe he won't kill anyone."

"Or maybe he'll kill someone to flush you out," Weasel pointed out.

"Damned if I do, damned if I don't," Draco sighed.

* * *

><p>Draco, polyjuiced into the Weasel, sat at a table in a muggle diner with Harry, Neville, and Shacklebolt. He was positive the Weasley trio was still snickering over him having to pose as the one person in that room he still didn't get along with.<p>

"Malfoy, I'll give you one thing," Shacklebolt said between bites of pancake. "You've got balls to go after Nott alone. But you're a Slytherin. You're supposed to have a better plan."

"My _plan_" Draco sipped coffee, washing down the bite of egg threatening to stick in his throat. The potion obviously hadn't duplicated the Weasel's appetite. "Was to hunt down the motherfucker, drag him down to the Ministry, and let life go back to normal at Hogwarts. Kids are only supposed to worry about their potions homework and whether the brunette was looking at them at lunch. They shouldn't be looking over their shoulders all the time."

"Give them the tools so they don't have to worry," Shacklebolt looked at him intently.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked, raising one eyebrow.

Harry watched in fascination as Malfoy's facial expressions played across Ron's face.

"Teach them how to defend themselves against the Dark Arts." Shacklbolt pointed at him with a fork. "You've been on the inside. You know the kinds of things he would use against those kids. Help them. That will hurt him, stop what he's trying to do. He wants victims. Teach them not to be victims."

Draco stared at the space between them for a moment, letting the words sink in. "What if it doesn't work?" he questioned. "What if I take the DADA position, and he kills more kids anyway?"

"How do you feel about going back to Azkaban?" Shacklebolt threw out casually.

Harry and Neville's heads snapped to look at the older man. Draco froze. Completely. As in he couldn't even draw breath.

The Minister shrugged. "It's a thought. It would be hard to kill someone and frame you for it if you're in prison." He looked at Draco seriously. "On the other hand, if we don't get some hard evidence connecting Nott to the murders, it could go that way anyhow."

Draco pushed his plate away. "I'll think about it."

Shacklebolt took another bite. "It won't be the same as when you were there before. The Ministry has replaced the administration at the prison. And we have a hearing next week about removing the Dementors. Hermione Granger has really taken up the cause of prison reform."

Neville nudged Draco and slipped him the flask of polyjuice. Draco nodded and took a swig of the noxious liquid.

"So what's the next move, Draco?" Neville finally spoke.

The blond drained his cup of coffee. "I'm going to see my wife. And then tell McGonagall that I un-resign. And then watch her piss herself when I accept the Defense Against the Dark Arts post."


	38. For All This Time

Draco apparated to the garden at the Manor. Luna lay on her back, looking up at the clouds. She looked over at him and smiled. He sat down in the grass beside her, leaning over to kiss her.

"Did you come back to stay with me?" she asked. "Or did you just stop by to leave again?"

He laid down beside her and held her hand. "I came to take you home. I couldn't find him. So we're going home, and tomorrow I start teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. I've already talked to McGonagall."

"I'm glad you've come to your senses again, Draco. Although I do wish you wouldn't have to keep doing that over and over. Maybe we will have to grow dirigible plums so you can see things as they are, not as they appear." She took his hand and put it on her belly. The baby was moving. They laid there like that until the baby settled.

"I shouldn't have left you the way I did that morning." he said softly. "You should have taken a potion or used a charm to prevent this. I didn't think to help you with that. It can't be easy doing NEWT level courses being pregnant."

Luna laid her hand over his. "When I woke up the next morning, I knew. I knew he was already growing inside me. I wanted him with all my heart. I knew you were going to Azkaban, and I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. But I would have him. I would look at him and know that it really did happen. It wasn't a dream."

He levered up and kissed her lips again. She tipped her head up to kiss his nose.

"Are you sorry?" she asked. "Do you wish we had done something to prevent him?"

"No," he answered, looking down at her. "I'm sorry that you're going through this right now, but I wouldn't undo it if I could. Because if it was just you and me, I would still be telling myself that I wasn't good enough for you and be running from, well, us. But knowing that we have him, that made me stop and try to be good enough for both of you."

She kissed his nose again. He slowly rose to his feet, pulling her up and brushing the grass and leaves off her back. By the time she turned around, her eyes had darkened and she was looking at him in a way that made him almost want to pull her back down in the grass. Almost. Because his father was somewhere up in that house, and there were too many windows facing this way.

He settled for kissing her instead and whispering "Go get your things and let's go home."

She smiled that I've Got A Secret smile at him. "I believe we may end up with a lot of babies, Draco."

* * *

><p>Draco found his father staring out the window of the study, at the place where he had been with Luna moments earlier.<p>

"I'm glad I didn't know whom you were going back for that day," Lucius said without turning. "I probably would have tried to stop you." He took another sip of his firewhiskey. "Now though, I see that the two of you belong together. She's not what I would have chosen for you. Even so, I'm glad you're happy with her. She does kind of grow on a person."

Draco walked over to stand beside his father. "She's grown on you a lot faster than I expected." he said. "Especially since she's a blood traitor."

Lucius sighed. "The beliefs of a lifetime are difficult to overcome." he glanced over at his son. "Tell me something honestly. If she hadn't been pureblood, would you have married her?"

"I really don't know," Draco shrugged. "The first thing I did when I realized I couldn't get her out of my head was to check on her blood status."

"Really?" Lucius smirked. "When was that?"

"Third year," Draco grinned.

Lucius spun to face him, stunned. "You've been in love with her that long?"

Draco shrugged again. "Well, not in love, not all that time. I was fascinated with her because she was so different than anyone else I knew. It was the school past time to nick her shoes and hide them. The first time I did it, she walked up to me the next day and congratulated me on finding the best hiding place yet. When I bragged on my new dragon hide cloak, she told me she was sorry I didn't have anyone who loved me enough to give me their old one. I think I knew I loved her sixth year, I just wouldn't admit it yet. You were, um, gone, and that task for Voldemort wasn't going well. I was so stressed that most of the time, I went around like a snarling beast, in her words. My friends were afraid to even speak to me. One morning I snapped at Crabbe and Goyle, and they took off running. Luna came over, hugged me, said "I'm sorry you're having such a bad day, Draco." and then walked away, leaving me standing there with my mouth open."

Lucius took another sip of his drink. "She told me she was a Ravenclaw-Gryffindor hatstall. The hat fucked up. She should have been a Gryffindor."

His son snickered. "Yeah, I think so too." he sobered. "Have you spoken with Mother?"

Lucius downed the rest of the whiskey. "No. I've sent her owls every day. No answer. Friday I made Dimpy hand deliver a letter to her. She threw the bloody thing in a drawer without opening it and told the house elf that she would let me know when she was ready to talk."

"She will come around eventually." Draco said, hoping he was right.

Lucius went back to the desk and poured himself another drink. He tilted the bottle at Draco, who shook his head. "She's wrapped herself in her hurt and anger. It's going to take something drastic to snap her out of this."

"Father in law," Luna appeared in the door. "Draco and I are going home to Hogsmeade. Are you sure you'll be all right without us?"

Lucius looked down into his glass. "I'll be fine." he answered.

Luna walked over and hugged him, obviously surprising Lucius. "Take care and we will see you soon."

He patted her back and gave her a sad smile.

Draco picked up Luna's suitcase, and they walked to the fireplace. He glanced back at his father as he threw the floo powder. Lucius was giving them a very odd look.

* * *

><p>Draco looked into the mirror, adjusting his tie and smoothing his hair one last time.<p>

"Are you ready?" Luna called from the other room.

"Be right there," he called back.

He picked up the parchment he had hastily scribbled the day before in McGonagall's office. When he had announced that he would take the DADA position, Snape's portrait had begun snapping instructions at him. Things like: Be sure to visit the library and compile a suitable list of additional study materials in case any of your students ask. Never excuse a student from doing a homework assignment; give them additional time if circumstances warrant, but never forgive the assignment completely. If a student wants to speak with you privately, leave the door open. He folded the parchment carefully and put it in his cloak pocket.

He looked at his reflection one last time. "Turn to page 394." he drawled and then laughed softly.

* * *

><p>Late that afternoon Neville, Harry, and Ron came to the auror office after lessons were completed, as their usual routine.<p>

Berryhill stuck his head in the auror office. "Longbottom, Shacklebolt wants you to come to his office. Needs you to go to Hogwarts to fetch Draco Malfoy."

Neville looked at Harry and Ron. The three shrugged at one another, then hurried downstairs to Shacklebolt's office.

The Minister looked up when the three trainees burst into his office.

"I sent for Longbottom, not the Three Musketeers," he snapped.

"I'm sorry, sir," Harry answered, taken aback. "We thought there may have been another murder."

Shacklebolt sighed. "I'd almost rather deliver that news." He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking very tired. "Lucius Malfoy shot himself."


	39. Something Drastic

A/N - Oh Em Gee, did everyone forget this is Lucius Malfoy we're talking about?

* * *

><p>Draco and Neville arrived at St Mungo's to find Shacklebolt already in the Artefact Injuries waiting area with Andromeda and Narcissa. He knelt in front of his mother and took her hand in both of his. She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face silently.<p>

The Minister addressed Draco. "He just came out of surgery. He shot himself in the chest. Fortunately the bullet missed his heart and his aorta, but his right lung collapsed. He lost a lot of blood, but as long as infection doesn't set in, he should be all right. It will just take some time."

Draco nodded, then leaned his head against his mother's, turning his attention to her. "I love you." he whispered to her. "He's going to be okay. But I want you to talk to him. You wouldn't be sitting here crying in public if you didn't still love him."

Narcissa nodded. "He left me a note." She clenched a piece of parchment that was twisted and tear stained. "He said he was sorry. That he had let me down so many times over the years, and I put up with him a lot longer than I should have." She lifted her head. "He said he would always love me."

Draco reached up and wiped her tears away. "Don't blame yourself. He did hurt you a lot. But the important thing is that he's still here. You can talk to him about it. Come to some sort of resolution for both of you."

His mother nodded again. Andromeda tightened her arm around her younger sister. He got off his knees and took a seat in one of the chairs.

Shacklebolt handed him a parchment. "He left one for you too."

The wax seal had been broken. Shacklebolt shrugged. "We had to read it. Sorry."

Draco unfolded the letter and bit down on his bottom lip at the sight of his father's familiar handwriting.

_My Dear Son,_

_I do not want you to think badly of me, that I took the coward's way out. It actually took quite a bit of courage to decide to handle the situation this way. _

_It is my fault the sorry state our family has become. My beloved Narcissa is gone. A madman is targeting you. I can't leave the Manor to do anything about any of it. _

_If Nott wants blood, he can have mine. I can't bear the thought of him harming you or your mother. I have already buried three children. Technically, I suppose four, although I was unable to attend Theo's funeral and wasn't aware I was supposed to be there. I can't stand at your graveside. I'm just not that strong. _

_I have a lot of regrets in life. Becoming involved with Voldemort and the Death Eaters and becoming involved with Angela Nott. A thousand small things. I regret that I didn't tell you more that I loved you and was proud of you. I regret that I threw gifts at you instead of spending more time with you because I was afraid of not being a good father. _

_However, I will never regret marrying your mother and having you. I love you both with all my heart. _

_I know you will not be the kind of father I was. I can already see from the way you interact with Luna now. You will be playing on the floor and swinging around a giggling child. I wish I could be there to see it. _

_With all my love, _

_Father _

By the time he finished reading, Luna arrived with Ron. She ran to Draco, wrapping her arms around him as he stood.

"I knew we shouldn't have left him," she whispered.

"It didn't matter," Draco whispered back. "He waited until we were at school. But he's going to be okay."

Luna released him and sat beside Narcissa, putting her arm around her mother in law. The younger woman murmured softly. Draco couldn't catch the words, but her tone was soothing and his mother was nodding.

Andromeda said something to her sister, who looked up and nodded. His aunt walked over and hugged Draco.

"I'm going to floo back to the house for a moment to check on Teddy and Harry," she said. "I know Harry's good with him, but I left them in rather a hurry. I'll be back as soon as I'm sure they're settled."

Draco nodded. "Thank you for being here. I know you and my father didn't see eye to eye…"

She patted his cheek. "But he's Cissy's husband and your father. The two of you love him. And I certainly wouldn't wish this situation on anyone, even him."

Shacklebolt moved into the chair next to Draco. "Longbottom," he addressed his trainee. "Stop prowling like a caged lion. You're making me nervous."

Neville shrugged and gave him a wry smile. "Sorry. This place just…bothers me."

The Minister sighed. "Get back over to the Manor. Tell Robards I need that report ASAP."

"Yes sir," Neville almost ran down the hall.

"House elf apparated him here straight away." Shacklebolt told Draco. "That's what saved his life. If he had been alone…"

Draco nodded as the older man trailed off.

Narcissa began to sob again. "He begged me to talk to him."

"Let's go find you some chicken soup," Luna stood, tugging on her mother in law's hand. "We'll go talk about the nursery." She looked over at the men. "Minister, you look like you could use some soup too. Draco, do you want to come with us?"

Draco shook his head. "I'm going to stay and wait in case there's any news."

Luna nodded. "Let us know if there is." She led Narcissa down the hall, trailed by Shacklebolt and the Weasel.

Draco stared at a spot on the floor just beyond his outstretched feet for an unknown time. He was about to check the time when a cup came into his view. He looked up.

"Coffee?" the Weasel offered.

"Thanks," Draco took the cup with a look of surprise.

"My dad was here a couple years ago," Weasel gestured down the hall. "Got bit by Voldemort's bloody snake. They barely got him here in time." He sipped his own coffee. "Not something I ever want to live through again."

Draco nodded. "I'm glad he was all right. I mean, it is all right now, isn't it?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Weasel nodded. "Took him a while, but he made a full recovery."

They sat in awkward silence for a moment.

"So, um, you think the new manager is going to make a difference for the Cannons this year?" Draco asked.

"Malfoy," Weasel shook his head. "How did we get here? I mean, sitting here, drinking coffee, talking about the Cannons? How did we stop insulting and hexing each other?"

Draco took a sip of coffee and stared again at the one imperfect tile on the floor. "A madman took over my home. He tortured and murdered people for disagreeing with him, or for simple human errors, or for just having the wrong parents, which was something they couldn't help. He had kids I went to school with locked in the dungeon. Dean Thomas I didn't really know, but Luna? She's never had an unkind word for anyone in her life and she wasn't responsible for what her father did any more than I could change anything my father did." he paused for a moment. Weasel made a non-descript sound, as if urging him to go on. "They brought the three of you in there, and I've never been more confused. They were trying to make me identify Harry. The only thing I could think was, could he really save us from Voldemort? Because at that point, all I wanted was out of there. I knew that you'd be tortured and killed. I didn't want to see it happen, but I was too afraid to do anything to stop it at that point." he took a sip of his coffee. "Then at Hogwarts, my four best friends all died in one night. I saw three of them draw their last breaths. One of them tried to kill _me_." he paused again, breathing in and out deeply. "Then I had two months in Azkaban without much to do but think. And that's a lot of time to rethink everything you've done and everything you've been taught in your life."

Weasel nodded and they were both back to staring at the floor.

Just as Weasel opened his mouth to speak, the senior healer came into the waiting room. "He's conscious now, but he's very weak. You can see him for just a moment. Then I want him to rest and maybe you can see him again in a few hours."

Draco nodded. "Thank you." and followed the healer down the hall, while Ron went to alert the others. He entered the room indicated to find his father lying in bed.

"Where's your mother?" he asked, voice raspy.

"She's here. She got emotional and stepped outside for a few moments." Draco told him. Lucius nodded. "I'm sure she will be in as soon as she hears you're awake."

"You have something on your mind," his father observed. "Go ahead and say it."

Draco shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "You shot yourself. With a muggle gun! Why? And where did you even get one?"

"Mundungus Fletcher procured the pistol for me. As for why, there are so few fitting options for a wizard to do himself in. In the old days, a man could order his house elf to kill him. Your wife has domesticated the bloody things. I doubt any of them would do it." Lucius huffed.

Draco smiled in spite of the situation.

"Drinking poison or slicing one's wrists or leaping off the balcony are ways a woman would do commit suicide," his father continued. "Not flattering for a gentleman of my stature. Hanging is very difficult to get right. You can either _not_ kill yourself, or decapitate yourself and leave a very unpleasant looking corpse. Muggle gunshot seemed appropriate."

Draco nodded, following his reasoning.

"Furthermore," Lucius added. "Bullet paths are controllable. You know that I need to be in control."

The truth dawned on his son. "You didn't intend for it to be fatal. You said it was going to take something drastic. You fucking _shot yourself _to get Mother's attention!"

Lucius looked at him coolly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You are so fucking Slytherin," Draco rolled his eyes. "You knew the aurors were going to read those suicide notes. Did you hide another one where they wouldn't find it in case things went wrong?"

"You shouldn't go around repeating such insane notions," Lucius said calmly. "You could find yourself in the ward with Longbottom's parents."

His son snorted. "Fine. I won't tell. I'll go find Mother and send her in."

When the door closed, Lucius spoke sharply. "Dimpy!"

The house elf appeared with a crack. "Yes master?"

"Burn the other parchment." the master instructed.

Draco met his mother halfway back down the hall. She ran to him, clutching his hands.

"You've spoken with him?" she asked excitedly. "He's awake, and knows what's going on, and..."

"Yes," her son interrupted. "And now it's time for you to talk to him."

A look of fear crossed her face. "I...I'm not..."

He turned, tugging on her hand. "Come on, I'll go with you."

Lucius' eyes lit up for a brief second when they walked into the room, quickly replaced by a look of polite interest.

"Cissy," he addressed her, voice still hoarse. "Thank you for coming. You look well."

"Oh, Lucius," she said, still standing just inside the door.

Draco gave his mother a gentle push. "Go sit beside him. If he gets out of hand, just hit him in the chest." he whispered.

"I heard that," his father gave him a dark look.

"You deserve it," his son smirked behind his mother's back.

Once Narcissa reached his side, it seemed she couldn't help herself. She held her husband's hand, stroked his hair, touched his face. "I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried about you."

"Really?" Lucius asked, almost sounding bored. "One wouldn't think so, the way you refused to answer any of my letters."

Her eyes filled with tears again. "You have to understand how hurt I was. Not just that you were unfaithful, but that you had a healthy child with her, after I struggled so to give you one." she started to turn her head, but Lucius grabbed her, thumb on her cheek and long fingers behind her neck, forcing her to look at him.

"That was our whole problem then. You were convinced I was going to leave you if you didn't provide me with an heir. Nothing I said got through to you. I didn't marry breeding stock! I married Cissy Black, the girl who told Tiberius McLaggen to go make love to himself because ladies don't say fuck. The girl who walked into the Yule Ball on Geoffrey Goyle's arm looking so beautiful in that purple gown that I abandoned my date to dance with her, even though my date had already promised me the best night of my life. The girl who was brilliant and charming and gracious and devious all rolled into one. The girl who came to me as pure as her white robes on our wedding night. I love _you_, Narcissa, always you. I love Draco, I can't imagine not having him, but if he had never been born, I still would have loved you." he was almost gasping for breath by the end of his speech.

"I love you," she choked out between sobs, and leaned over to kiss him.

By this time the healer was rattling the door, which Draco was holding closed.

"I know you have a lot more to talk about," he told his parents. "But right now I think Father needs to rest. You can continue this discussion later."

His parents, who were still staring into each others' eyes both nodded, and his mother leaned in for another kiss.

Draco put his hand over his eyes, because he so did not want to see any tongue between his parents.


	40. Teacher Hazing

Draco returned to the waiting area to find the Weasel beside Luna with his arm around her shoulders and her looking up at the redhead with a smile. He clenched his fists at his sides and strode over to them.

"Get the fuck away from my wife," he snarled.

Weasel looked at him with disdain. "Just when I thought you might turn into a decent human being." Ron rolled his eyes. "George was wrong. You are still a prick. And still bloody mental as well."

"I can be," Draco ground out. "When someone gives me a reason to be. Like pawing all over my wife."

"Get a bloody grip!" Weasel's voice was getting louder. "She's like my sister! I'm not going to be shagging her in a hospital waiting room!"

Big mistake, giving Draco the idea of Weasel and Luna possibly shagging anywhere. Draco's eyes darkened dangerously. Luna stood, shrugging off Ron's arm, and reached for Draco's hand. Narcissa came up behind him and took his other hand.

"Draco, come tell..." Luna began softly, looking up at her husband, who still stared at the redhead.

"You come near her again, and you'll never shag anyone after that," Draco pronounced slowly and carefully.

Weasel stood up.

"Draco! Ron!" Shacklebolt warned sharply from across the room.

Luna used the heavy ammunition. She first tried to uncurl Draco's fingers, but they were locked into a fist. She ended up just placing the fist against her belly and as if on cue, the baby kicked against his father's hand.

Draco turned from the staring contest to look down at her. She kissed his nose.

"Come with me," she whispered. He relaxed, letting her lead him out of the room.

"Ron, why don't you head home?" Shacklebolt said as they walked away. It wasn't a suggestion.

"Malfoy," Weasel called after him. Draco stopped but didn't turn around. "I hope you realize that you've fucked up whatever truce we had going."

The blond glanced back over his shoulder. "Likewise." he said, walking out with Luna.

* * *

><p>After seeing Lucius again after dinner, Draco and Luna returned home to Hogsmeade. Tabby was waiting when they stepped out of the floo with a steaming bowl of chicken soup. Draco told the house elf to leave it on the table and take the rest of the night off. He turned to Luna, taking both of her hands and leaning in to kiss her. "I'm glad we're home. And alone." He started to lead her toward the bedroom.<p>

She pulled her hands away. "I'm going to take a long bubblebath now," Luna informed him dreamily. "Perhaps some grindylows will join me. They'll probably be better behaved than you were earlier."

With that Draco found himself staring at a locked bathroom door.

* * *

><p>Draco didn't make it back to the hospital before Lucius was released on Thursday. He couldn't get away from the school. He had so many students in detention he had to ask other teachers to take them. He had early morning detention and two sessions after school, and his classroom was still full. He had been called a Death Eater. He had students trying to provoke him into arguments. His parentage had been insulted. Most of all, it seemed every one of his students was dying to see his Dark Mark. He was really starting to feel like the only thing his classes had learned in the first three days was that he wasn't afraid to take house points and give detentions.<p>

He had just dismissed the second shift of detention and was packing his things to go home for the night when McGonagall came in.

He shoved his hand through his hair and sighed. "Ma'am." he acknowledged.

"I'm very proud of you, Professor Malfoy," she said with a ghost of a smile. "You've handled yourself exceptionally well in these extraordinarily difficult circumstances."

Surely she did not actually say that.

"I'm glad you feel that way, but I don't think I've accomplished anything except set a school record for detentions." he shook his head wearily. "I'm really starting to rethink this decision."

"That's exactly why I came here this evening," the headmistress informed him. "It's not easy being the newest teacher. And it's especially not easy when you're only slightly older than your students. Furthermore, you have to contend with public perceptions of what happened before and during the war, right, wrong, or otherwise. Yet you've handled the matter with the grace of an experienced teacher."

He fished a parchment out of his pocket and unfolded it. "Snapeism Number Two: If you allow your students to make you lose your composure, they will be doing it for the rest of the year." he read aloud in his best imitation of his godfather's voice.

McGonagall smiled sadly. "The fact you openly accepted his advice rather than insisting you could do this without anyone's help is another indication of your maturity. My faith in you was well placed, Professor." she walked toward the door.

"Thank you," he said sincerely as she reached the door.

She simply smiled and wished him a good evening.

* * *

><p>The next day was a different story. His first class was the sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins, by far his most challenging class. The younger students were somewhat intimidated by him. The seventh year Slytherins all tried to buddy up to him and sided with him (or so they thought) against the Gryffndors. The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were less contentious for the most part.<p>

The lesson was on how to perform homenum revelio. Good thing for them to learn, since Nott was fond of running around disillusioned. He exlained the theory behind the spell, and the practicalities of casting it. Then for practice, he took turns disillusioning students who then moved about the room while other students cast the charm to try to locate the hidden ones. The first few sets of students weren't actually so bad. But then it came to the Slytherin ringleaders. Astoria Greengrass and her devoted followers obediently came to the front. He intended to disillusion Paris Parkinson and Trevor Harper first, while Astoria and Andrew Montague cast the spell to reveal them. However, Astoria whined that she wanted to be hidden first, and Draco quite frankly didn't see that it mattered. He tapped them each on the head, then counted to five to give them time to move away before allowing Parkinson to start. Montague headed for the far end of the room, while he felt Astoria move behind him. Just as Parkinson shouted the words, Astoria grabbed Draco's butt. The entire class saw it and snickered. He roughly grabbed Astoria's arm, dragging her toward the doorway, throwing a non-veral finite incantatem on the way out.

"Riordan!" he shouted at the female Gryffindor prefect, gesturing with his head for her to follow them into the hallway.

The girl did so obediently, but not looking one bit like a brave lion at the moment.

He slammed the classroom door behind the three of them and whirled on Astoria.

"What the hell was that?" he roared.

"I was just having a bit of fun!" she shouted back. "You're not like you used to be! You would have thought it was funny before!"

"What part of 'I'm your teacher and not your friend when I'm in front of a classroom' do you not understand? That was highly inappropriate!"

"When the Ravenclaws are in here do you let Looney grab your arse?" she smirked.

"Not in front of my class, and what my wife and I do out of class is none of your business," he practically flung her arm away from him. "Riordan, please escort her to the headmistress' office."

Astoria was not going to be dismissed easily. "You were supposed to marry me, or have you forgotten?"

Riordan gasped.

"It's true," Astoria looked smugly at the Gryffindor. "Before his father went to Azkaban, the _first_ time, our parents were negotiating a match between us."

"That doesn't matter now," he told her. "I'm happily married, and you've got a year and a half before you finish school for your parents to find you someone else. Now, McGonagall's office." he pointed down the hall and glared at Riordan, who took Astoria's other arm in hopes of leading her away silently.

"I'm not going to just forget about this," Astoria called, walking away.

"I'm sure you won't," he said more to himself as he returned to the classroom.

* * *

><p>The next day Draco and Luna gave the house elves the day off and were having a lazy day around the house before going to the Manor for dinner with his parents. Shortly after noon, they were just finishing lunch when someone pounded on the front door. Ever wary, Draco opened the door, wand held behind him.<p>

It was the Weaselette and another Gryffindor girl whose name he didn't know. The strange thing was that Weaselette looked completely stunned to see him.

"Malfoy?" she asked, eyes wide. "What the hell?"

He rolled his eyes. "This is my house. I live here."

He held the door wider so they could come in. He closed the door behind them and led them to the kitchen, where Luna was clearing away the dishes. Obviously they hadn't come to see him.

"Hello, Ginny, Ava," Luna greeted them, giving each a one armed hug. Draco reached to take the plates from her other hand.

The two Gryffindors looked at one another, then both looked at Draco. The hair on the back of his neck was starting to stand up.

"What?" he asked them, placing the dishes in the sink and turning back to face them.

The Weaselette's face was starting to redden. "I don't understand. We came to tell Luna we had just seen you in Hogsmeade with Astoria Greengrass."

Luna shook her head. "Perhaps some stray Wrackspurts were looking for shelter from this cold spell and took refuge in your head. We haven't left the house all day."

"No," the other girl spoke. "We definitely saw Professor Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass at a corner table in the Hog's Head. So did several other people. He kissed her and led her out of the room."

Draco didn't run up the stairs. He apparated up, leaving three stunned females in his wake. He had to get dressed and get to Hogsmeade.

It was a matter of life and death.

Astoria's.


	41. The Trap

Draco summoned his clothes and floo called Grimmauld Place while he dressed.

Harry answered just as Draco was zipping his pants. "Neville!" he shouted. "Obscene floo call for you!" He looked over his shoulder.

"Harry!" Draco said sharply, shoving his feet in his boots. "Nott's in Hogsmeade polyjuiced or transfigured to look like me. He's got Astoria Greengrass. Meet me in front of the Hog's Head."

"Right away!" Harry jumped up and severed the connection.

Draco arrived in front of the pub moments ahead of Neville.

"Neville Fucking Longbottom," Draco said in an effort to confirm his identity.

Neville wasn't convinced. "The day you proposed to Luna, what did you ask me to look at out in the forest?"

"I did not ask you to look at my arse!" Draco snapped.

Harry and Shacklebolt joined them just in time to hear that. They looked at each other, shrugged, and turned back to Draco.

"Apparently a number of people saw me in here," he gestured at the building. "at a back table kissing Astoria Greengrass, and then we left. But I hadn't been out of the house all day."

"Shit, he could take her anywhere," Shacklebolt looked around at the little town.

"He's going to need some place isolated for this," Draco looked around as well.

Shacklebolt nodded. "You two," he indicated Draco and Neville. "check the back rooms here and then get over to the Three Broomsticks and check the upstairs. Harry and I will start checking alleys. I'll send back for some aurors to get over here and help."

"Stay together!" the Minister shouted at their backs as the ran toward the door.

They bounded up the stairs and skidded to a stop when Draco grabbed Neville's arm. Neville looked around wildly. There were eight or so closed doors.

Draco took a deep breath and pulled up his sleeve. He stared at the Dark Mark for a long moment before taking another deep breath and pressing the skull, concentrating on Nott.

"He's not here," Draco said softly. "But he's not too far away."

The ran back down the stairs and down the street to the Three Broomsticks. They stopped just outisde the doorway.

"You go around the left side of the room and I'll go around the right. We'll meet at the staircase." Neville instructed.

Draco nodded and they burst through the door, wands drawn. Everyone froze and stared, but Draco and Neville ignored the shocked looks, scanning the crowd for two particular faces.

They reached the stairs. Draco held out his arm, which was glowing slightly. Neville nodded, and by unspoken agreement, they ascended slowly. Neville's eyes sought danger in front of them, while Draco watched over his shoulder for someone to approach them from behind.

Draco didn't need to use the Dark Mark to help locate Nott. When they reached the top of the stairs, the surface of the door at the far end of the hall rippled. He silently cast a homenum revelio, shoving Neville against the wall as sparks came flying their way. He flattened himself against the opposite wall as he and Neville both fired curses at the shadowy figure.

Which wasn't big enough to be Nott.

The figure turned and ran, heading for the stairs leading to the attic. Neville took off in pursuit. Draco split off and headed toward the door the person had been guarding. Careful to stand off to the side rather than directly in front, he blasted it off the hinges. He looked around the door frame, and although he had been warned, he was shocked to see himself leering back from the bed. The false Draco was straddling someone on the bed, holding the ends of a belt that was wrapped around the woman's neck.

For the first time in his life, Draco pointed his wand and shouted "Avada Kedavra!"

The imposter laughed and threw Peruvian Darkness powder. Draco heard an apparation crack. Fuck. He cast the spell the Twin had used to clear his room in Knockturn Alley before peeking around the doorframe again. No sign of Nott. Not taking any chances, he slipped into the room, keeping his back against the wall and pressed the Dark Mark again. It remained cold and black.

He rushed over to the bed and loosened the belt around Astoria's throat. He shook her lightly, and to his relief, she took a gasping breath and coughed. He waited a moment until her breathing seemed normal, raising his wand to cast a renervate. Before he did so, her eyes fluttered open, blinking a few times before her gaze fixed on him. Her eyes then widened in terror, and she screamed as loudly as her injured throat would allow, trying to shrink away from him.

Draco realized he had walked into a trap. He was royally fucked. He had just saved Astoria's life.

And she would identify him as her attacker.


	42. Questioning

A/N - Sorry for the late update. It's been a wild week. And The Evil Plot Bunny distracted me with a one-shot. It's not related to this story but if you're interested, you can find the link on my profile.

* * *

><p>"I told you to stay together!" Shacklebolt snapped.<p>

They were alone in Madam Pomfrey's office. Luna had gone to the Manor after several Slytherin's who had heard about Astoria had come to the house in Hogsmeade.

The subject of the scolding shrugged and didn't quite meet the older man's eyes. "I know."

"Do you really?" Shacklebolt folded his arms. "This is really, really bad, Draco. Half the town saw you with Miss Greengrass. No one saw two Dracos because you and Longbottom split up. We have a victim who has known you since she was a toddler and is 100% positive you were the one who tried to kill her. We're even going to have trouble tying this crime to the others as there are no knee marks in this one and she was found in the bed of a rented room." he placed his palms on the desk and leaned across toward Draco. "Robert Greengrass was in my office within an hour demanding your immediate arrest. About the only reason I could use not to oblige him was that one of the people who saw you at the house was the Hogwarts Head Girl. And that's pretty flimsy."

"I saved his daughter's life," Draco sighed. "You'd think I'd get some credit for that."

Shacklebolt looked at his muggle wristwatch. "Buckley is going to question her in a few minutes. Madam Pomfrey insisted on waiting until after supper. Come on. We've got to get set up."

Shacklebolt took him to a storage room full of medicinal potions and equipment. Two chairs had been set up in the middle of the room. A portable screen sectioned off one portion of the room. Two more chairs sat behind it. The Minister indicated for Draco to sit behind the screen.

"Buckley's going to bring her in here, so that they can have some privacy. You and I are going to be sitting behind the screen, because she probably wouldn't feel comfortable talking in front of me, and we're not even going to let her see you. We'll have to stay completely still and silent. If you have any reasons to think you may have an outburst, you had better muffle yourself now."

Draco grinned. "So you're going to lie to her."

"No we're not going to lie to her," Shacklebolt looked offended. "They will have privacy in here, from any student that might wander into the hospital wing. We're just not going to tell her that she and Buckley are alone."

Draco rolled his eyes. "You were a Slytherin, weren't you?"

Shacklebolt didn't answer.

Moments later, the door to the room opened and closed. There were sounds of movement.

"Now Miss Greengrass," a gentle female voice began. "You understand that these questions are to help us find the person who harmed you. Therefore, you must answer truthfully, and with as much detail as possible, to assist us in bringing this person to justice."

"You can ask whatever you think you need to," Astoria still sounded slightly hoarse. "But as I've already said, Draco Malfoy is the one who did this, so I don't understand why we need to talk about it further."

Even though he had been expecting her to say something along those lines, Draco still winced inwardly when he heard her words.

"In order to make a case, we need a complete statement from you," Buckley answered her. "If you would, please start at the beginning. You left the castle and came to Hogsmeade this morning. And then..."

Astoria picked up the story. "I was going to Gladrags with Paris and Charise. We had just barely gotten into town when Draco approached us. Excuse me, _Professor Malfoy_. He asked if he could speak with me."

"Where was he? Which direction did he approach from?" Buckley interrupted.

"I'm not sure," Astoria paused for a moment. "We were walking past Honeyduke's, and he came up alongside. He must have been waiting for us somewhere around there."

"Had you seen him earlier that morning, in the castle, perhaps?" Buckley asked.

There was a soft tinkling sound. It took Draco a moment to realize it was Astoria's earrings jingling as she shook her head.

"No, but he doesn't live at the castle. He had probably come from his house. He lives just outside the town. I hadn't seen or talked to him since I got in trouble in his class the day before."

"Did he act unusual in any way?" the auror questioned. "Nervous? Hostile? Any mannerisms you hadn't noticed before or odd speech expressions he didn't normally use?"

This woman was good.

Apparently Astoria thought about it for a moment. "He looked around to see if anyone was watching us. He didn't quite seem himself. But that was probably because of what he wanted to talk to me about. He was probably afraid someone would go running back to his_ wife_." She spat out the word like a curse.

"What did he want to talk to you about? And where did he talk to you?" Buckley prompted.

"He took me down to the Hog's Head. Said there wouldn't be as many students there, since most of them went to The Three Broomsticks or or the tea shop. He ordered us butterbeers. He said he wanted to apologize for what happened in class, that he had to act like that so the other students wouldn't see what he thought of me. That it was inappropriate for a teacher to be attracted to a student."

Draco wasn't surprised, but that didn't mean he liked hearing this.

"He told you he was attracted to you?" Buckley asked.

"Yes, he started telling me that what happened with him and Looney Lovegood was a mistake, a one night stand that came back to haunt him. She purposely waited until it was too late to terminate the pregnancy before she told him. His parents and hers forced him to marry her. But she's crazy, and, he said, since she's pregnant, she doesn't want to take care of him in the way a man needs. And even if she was willing, she's big and fat now, not attractive to him at all. He said he was looking into ways to get out of the marriage after the kid was born. I had only had the one butterbeer, but I don't know, somehow I started feeling lightheaded and relaxed and tingly all at the same time. He leaned over and kissed me. And then we were snogging like crazy and he looked at me and told me he needed me to give him what a man needs."

"I see," Buckley's voice then. "So then what?"

Astoria sighed. "I know it was wrong, but like I said, I wasn't quite feeling like myself. He was telling me what he wanted to do to me, and how much I was going to enjoy it. He told me he had a room at the Three Broomsticks, so we went there." she trailed off momentarily. "That sorry prick! I didn't think about it at the time. He had already rented the room. He expected me to just fall at his feet. I'm not that kind of person. I don't go around shagging married men. Especially not my professors. Anyway. So we were in the room and started fooling around. He started getting rough, and I thought if this was how he treated Looney no wonder she cut him off, you know, with her being pregnant and all. I told him I didn't like this, and he told me to shut up and start liking it. I tried to make him stop, but he held me down." She paused again. And sniffed.

"Here, here's a tissue," Buckley said. "Are you okay?"

No answer. Draco presumed she must be nodding or shaking her head.

"We can wait a minute before we go on." Buckley offered. Still no answer. "Do you want a drink or something?"

"Aquamenti."

"You're very brave, telling this," Buckley soothed.

Draco was starting to feel nauseous. Astoria didn't deserve this. True, none of Nott's victims had, but hearing her relate the story made it all real to him.

"So," Astoria finally spoke again, voice shaky. "He finished up, and he immediately jumped up and got dressed. I just pulled the blankets up round me and thought, wow, this is going to be awkward in class Monday. Then the next thing I knew, he was back on the bed, on top of me, and he put his belt around my neck. He was pulling it tighter and tighter. I tried to pull it loose, push him away from me, but he was holding me down and I couldn't breathe. I started to black out, and then suddenly the belt was loose. He was shaking me and calling my name. I pulled away again, and he got up and walked away. Then the aurors came."

"I want you to think about something very carefully." Buckley said slowly. "Think about just before you blacked out. Then think about when you woke up. Was there anything different about him?"

Astoria was silent for long enough that Draco was having a hard time staying silent and still.

"Yeah, there was," she answered, sounding a little surprised.

"What was different?" Buckley asked.

"His hair. I had run my fingers through it when we first got in the room, it was kind of messy. Then when I came to, it was combed again. And his shirt... he was wearing a white buttondown shirt. I laid there watching him button it up after...after everything. Then when I woke up, I'm almost positive he was wearing a black pullover shirt. But why would he change..." she sounded like she trailed off in thought.

"The reason I ask is because there are three Hogwarts students who say they saw Mr. Malfoy at his house at the same time he was supposed to have been with you. Do you think it's possible someone had polyjuiced themselves as him, knowing you would trust him?"

"Oh Merlin," Astoria's voice was so soft he had to strain to hear it. "I fucked someone and don't even know who it was." She began sobbing.

"Honey, it's not your fault," Buckley sounded like Mrs. Weasley just then. Draco didn't know why that thought even occured to him. "You didn't know it wasn't him, and besides, you told the man to stop and he didn't. That wasn't your fault."

Astoria just continued to sob. Draco wasn't feeling so much like he had saved her any more.

"Come on, honey, let's go get something from Madam Pomfrey to make you feel better."

The chairs scraped across the floor, and the door opened and closed. Draco started to stand, but Shacklebolt grabbed his arm.

"Not yet. Stay put in case they forgot anything. They could still be right outside the door." Shacklebolt whispered.

They sat in silence for a moment.

"We have to focus on the shirt. Ask the witnesses who saw you before and after what color shirt you were wearing. That may be what keeps you out of Azkaban for now." he whispered again. "I don't supposed you have a belt on?"

They both looked at Draco's waist.

"No, I was in a hurry, so I didn't put one on." Draco shook his head. "But my boots." He held out a foot. "They're custom made. The bastard wouldn't have anything like them."

Shacklebolt nodded but said "Not bloody likely too many people looked at your feet."

Another thought occurred to Draco. 'I wonder if he showed up to the others polyjuiced as me."

The Minister considered the idea for a few moments. "Hard to say. Maybe Fitzpatrick would have invited you in, but Bones and Hopkirk may not have been thrilled to see Draco Malfoy."

Draco sighed and slumped in his chair. "So what now?"

"You go back to school Monday morning." Shacklebolt stood. "I'll get Percy Weasley to work his magic, shine this up and put the media spin on it. And beyond that, we look for Nott and wait for his next move."

Draco didn't like that answer, but he didn't have anything better.


	43. Hero or Zero

Draco slipped out of the bed in his old room in the manor very early the next morning, dropping a kiss on Luna's temple. He quietly made his way to the solarium, where he was not surprised to find his father already there, sipping tea and reading the Daily Prophet. These early morning meetings had frequently been a special time with father and son in years past.

"Good morning, son. Sleep well?" his father asked, snapping his fingers to alert Dimpy to fetch Master Draco's tea.

"Very well, thank you," the son answered, stretching one more time before sitting down across from Lucius. "What?" he asked, noticing the smirk playing around his father's lips.

"I never thought I would say this about a Weasley, and Percy in particular, but whatever Shacklebolt is paying his press secretary, the young man earned it today. He is a master at what he does." Lucius slid the paper across the table.

The lead story, indeed taking up half the front page, was about the prison reforms going into place, and the Ministry's hopes that the new system would result in rehabilitation, rather than releasing bitter and angry wizards to do more harm after their sentences. The article his father was referring to was on the bottom right of the page.

_**Attack on Heiress Thwarted by Professor**_

_The new Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts professor found himself physically defending one of his students against the dark arts on Saturday, as Professor Draco Malfoy saved a young lady from certain death. Astoria Greengrass, the beautiful middle daughter of Robert Greengrass, CEO of the Nimbus Racing Broom Company, was set upon by an unnamed assailant who had polyjuiced himself as the professor during a Hogsmeade weekend outing. Professor Malfoy was alerted to the danger to Miss Greengrass by two Hogwarts students who knew the professor was spending the day at home with his lovely new bride, the former Miss Luna Lovegood. He immediately called his personal friends Auror Trainee Harry Potter, the saviour of the Wizarding World, and Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, to assist him in coming to Miss Greengrass' aid. However it was Professor Malfoy himself, displaying the athleticism that made him the star Slytherin Seeker during his Hogwarts years, who ran through the town, locating Miss Greengrass and her attacker just in time. Unfortunately the criminal made his escape as Professor Malfoy revived the poor girl, who was only seconds from death. However, Auror Ben Berryhill assures the Prophet readers that the identity of the villian is known to the law enforcement division, and that the aurors will devote all available manpower and resources to his apprehension. According to the officer, Miss Greengrass was personally targeted by a deranged and obsessed individual, and there is no reason for the community to be alarmed. Minister Shacklebolt, when asked for comment, stated that while he does still wish that Professor Malfoy had accepted the Minstry's invitation to become an Auror, he is most appreciative that a wizard of Malfoy's talent and intelligence is teaching the next generation to defend themselves from malicious attack. _

Draco shook his head. "Wow. _I_ almost believe I'm the good guy."

Lucius glared at him. "You are the good guy."

"Whatever." Draco rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>McGonagall owled later that morning, asking him to attend dinner in the Great Hall that night, as she was going to have to make an announcement about the Hogsmeade incident. She confirmed that a student had been attacked by a polyjuiced imposter, but did not give details. It wouldn't take much for anyone, particularly the Slytherins, to figure out the identity of the victim, as Astoria did not plan to return for several days, but hopefully the fact she was sexually assaulted would not make the gossip chain. The headmistress stated that there was no cause for alarm among the students, but that constant vigilance was always recommended. Draco spoke briefly, expressing his disappointment that the perpetrator had taken his form, and reminding students that incidents such as this were the reason Defense Against the Dark Arts was important.<p>

In a totally unprecedented and unexpected (at least on Draco's part) move, McGonagall asked if any of the students had any questions.

A fourth year Gryffindor raised his hand. "Professor Malfoy, if you were to duel Harry Potter, who would win?" he asked, eliciting snickers from his house mates.

The professor looked at him pointedly. "No one." he answered, turning from the suddenly silent crowd.


	44. We Need a Plan

An owl practically attacked Draco as he left the Great Hall. It was that stupid midget bird that belonged to the Weasel.

The psychotic creature lighted on a suit of armor long enough for Draco to removed the parchment attached to its leg.

_D,_

_Can you stop by for a few minutes tonight? I have some news._

_Neville_

Draco opened the door and instantly met Luna's eyes across the room. He nodded toward the corridor. She gracefully rose from her seat and came to join him.

"That was a very good answer," she said softy, slipping her arms around his waist as he closed the door behind them.

He smiled at her. "Neville wants me to stop by for a few minutes. Do you want to come along, see Harry and the Weas...um, Ron?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, I would like to come see them. And appreciate you asking even if it's only because you don't want me to stay home alone."

He smirked. "You've really got to stop reading my mind."

They flooed from Hogwarts to Grimmauld Place. Neville almost looked relieved when Luna followed Draco out of the fireplace.

"Luna, Harry's on one of his missing Sirius kicks tonight. He's up in Sirius' bedroom on the top level listening to his old Led Zepplin albums and staring at the wall. Will you go talk to him?" Neville asked.

"Of course," Luna headed up the stairs.

"Where's the Weasel?" Draco looked around uneasily.

"He's gone off with Hermione." Neville answered. "You don't have to worry about being attacked. He won't be back for a while."

"I wasn't worried about being attacked." Draco rolled his eyes. "I just want to keep an eye on my wife if he's around."

Neville snorted. "Get a grip. There's a better chance of you hooking up with Hermione than Ron and Luna."

Draco stared at him for a second then shook his head. "Whatever. Now what news do you have?"

Neville gestured for him to sit. "The aurors caught Rowle last night. He was only in on the one attack. He was supposed to be keeping an eye out for you. According to him, Nott worked alone on the others. Unfortunately, Nott hadn't talked to him about any future plans."

Draco nodded, staring into the fire, digesting the information. "No ideas where to go from here then, really?"

"No, Shacklebolt knows a criminal profiler in the American FBI who's a wizard. He's calling in a favor to see if the guy has any suggestions." Neville shrugged. "Probably won't have any word from there until late tomorrow, though."

"He's way too involved in this investigation." Draco noted.

"Yeah. He's a good Minister, but I don't look for him to serve more than this one term. He misses the hands on auror investigations." Neville leaned back and propped his feet on the coffee table.

"No shit," Draco rolled his eyes. "But I don't like this sitting around waiting for him to strike. We need a plan."

Neville looked at him pointedly. "You're the Slytherin around here. Plans are supposed to be your department."

Draco smirked. "Yeah, I know. And I'm working on one."

"The hair on the back of my neck is standing up now." Neville said dryly. "Should it be?"

"Probably," Draco's smirk turned into a devious smile. "I've got some ideas, but I'll wait until we hear what Shacklebolt's friend has to say."

The floo activated, and to their surprise, Ron and Hermione stepped through. Ron immediately scowled at the sight of their guest.

"We weren't expecting you back for a while," Neville straightened in his seat.

Ron didn't look at his room mate, continuing to frown at Draco. "The restaraunt was busy, so we missed the start of the movie. We decided to rent a movie and come back here instead. I didn't realize you'd be entertaining ferrets."

Draco jumped to his feet. "I wasn't planning to stay. Luna's upstairs talking to Harry, and we'll be leaving when she's done. But, Weasley, I do want to apologize for what happened at St Mungo's. We, well, _I _have been under a lot of stress, with the crap with Nott and of course what had just happened with my father, and I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. I know you and Luna have known each other a long time and if there was going to be anything between you, it would have happened before now. You and your family mean a lot to her and I don't want to come between that." He hung his head and looked properly repentant.

"Um, yeah, okay. I can understand that, I mean, I wasn't at my best with my dad in the hospital." Ron looked shocked. "Um, yeah, apology accepted." He looked at Neville. "We'll, um, just be up in my room." He gripped Hermione's arm and led her down the hall.

Neville waited until he heard Ron's bedroom door shut before looking at Draco, who had sat back down. "You said you were going to wait until we heard from the profiler to put your plan in action."

Draco smirked. "That was just a little small part."

* * *

><p>All day, Draco dreaded his last class. Astoria 's class.<p>

The other classes hadn't been great, but for the most part, they had been better than the first week. A couple of the second year Gryffindors had asked him to autograph copies of the Daily Prophet. He glared at them until they put their papers away.

Just as the sixth years came in and found their seats, McGonagall stuck her head in the door.

"Professor Malfoy," she said loudly enough for the entire class to hear. "Harry Potter sent a floo message that the aurors have heard from the source they discussed with you last night. He and Mr. Longbottom will be stopping by immediately after this class to ask your opinion on his findings." She smirked at him and winked just before closing the door.

He turned back to the class, who were mostly looking at him with wide eyes.

Riordan raised her hand. He nodded at her.

"You really do know Harry Potter?" she asked hesitantly.

Draco glared at her, not his worst, but enough to show the kids not to question him. "He was best man at my wedding. And we're working together to investigate what happened with Miss Greengrass."

"But you didn't get along with him when you were in school. And he's a Gryffindor." The Slytherin who spoke didn't bother to raise his hand.

"A truly wise Slytherin would understand that childish differences and house prejudices should be set aside when it is in the best interest to do so." Draco replied coolly.

The students behaved better, paid more attention, and asked more insightful questions than they had all year.

The former Gryffindor head of house would have made one hell of a Slytherin.

* * *

><p>As promised, Harry and Neville were waiting outside the door when class finished. Draco had to herd the kids out the door and drag his guests in to keep Harry from being mobbed.<p>

"So what have we got?" he asked, leaning one hip on the corner of his desk and lazily casting a silencing spell at the door.

Harry opened a parchment and glanced over his notes. "The perpetrator is organized, methodical, calculating, and intelligent. He plans his crimes, but more likely hours in advance rather than days in advance. He's fixated on the Malfoy family, and betrayals. He feels betrayed by his wife's affair and by the Malfoy family's defection from the Dark Lord. He is motivated by ideations of revenge and vengence. He apparently follows Draco, and is probably in contact with at least one person close to him."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Was that it?"

Neville shrugged. "There was more, speculating on his relationships with his parents, stuff like that. Nothing about who he's likely to target next."

"That's why we need a plan." Draco smirked.

"What do you have in mind?" Harry asked.

"How do you think the scary Weasley brother would look in a dress?"


	45. The Man with the Plan

"How do you think the scary Weasley brother would look in a dress?"

"Not good enough to fool Nott," Neville snickered.

Harry was looking at Draco speculatively. "What do you have in mind?"

Draco glanced at the door. "Let me collect Luna and get her situated somewhere, and then we'll go someplace we can talk without worrying about who's outside the door."

They walked with him over to the Divination Tower , where Luna was talking with a Hufflepuff girl.

"Hey beautiful," Draco whispered, pulling her in for a quick kiss. "How about I take you home to my parents?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're being overprotective."

"I've got something worth protecting." he smirked.

"We haven't told your parents we were coming." she smiled sweetly.

"Like they mind," he shrugged. "My mother is always asking us to come over more."

She looked toward him for a moment, but behind her eyes she was far away. "Dimpy says to floo into the dining room, not the study."

Draco looked at Neville and Harry.

"We're following you." Harry shrugged.

When they arrived in the dining room, Dimpy was waiting for them. "Master and Mistress will be most pleased Master Draco and Missy Luna have come with friends."

Draco frowned. "You didn't tell them we were coming?"

The house elf wrung his hands. "Dimpy will tell them soon."

"Where is my father?" Draco was confused now.

"Master is in the study," the house elf looked toward the staircase. "Dimpy must not disturb."

"Okay," Draco drew the word out. "Where is my mother?"

"Mistress is in the study with Master."

Neville and Harry grinned at each other, in spite of Harry's blush.

"Go Lucius," Neville muttered softly. Luna giggled.

"EWWWW!" Draco suddenly caught on. "That's my parents you're talking about!"

Neville rolled his eyes. "How do you think they got to _be_ parents?"

Luna kissed her husband's nose. "I'll go do some homework in the green parlor. Why don't the three of you go talk about whatever it was?"

Draco kissed her forehead. "Don't go outside." He turned back to the house elf, who was still wringing his hands. "Dimpy, make sure you keep an ear out for Luna. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, even a sniffle, you go straight to her." He turned to Luna. "Please. Just humour me. I'm not taking any chances of Nott getting his hands on you."

She smiled up at him and winked.

She allowed Dimpy to take her book bag and followed him down the hall.

Draco led Harry and Neville up the kitchen stairs to the room that used to be his gym. He cast several spells on the way up to make sure they weren't disturbed.

"Do you think we should call Shacklebolt for this?" Harry asked as Draco pulled the chair in the corner closer to the bench by the window.

"We'll kick it around first, work out most of the issues, and then get with Shacklebolt about the final details." Draco angled the chair so his back was not directly to the door.

The other two looked at him expectantly.

"All right, so Nott is targeting people that I have a grudge or disagreement with. As we all know, Draco Malfoy is not going to be able to go the rest of his life without getting into a disagreement with someone. So I'm figuring the next best thing would be to control the variable."

"Huh?" Harry asked.

"So you stage an argument with someone and wait for him to strike." Neville nodded.

"Exactly." Draco smirked.

"So who are you going to argue with?" Harry asked.

"That's open for negotiation, but I'm thinking Granger." Draco said.

Harry started to protest but Neville held his hand up to cut him off. "Why Hermione?" he asked Draco.

Draco leaned back in his chair. "It would be believable. We didn't exactly see eye to eye most of our lives. She can handle herself. She can think on her feet. But Harry, before you rupture something, she won't actually be in danger."

Harry startled and looked at Draco. "How?"

"She and I stage the argument in a very public place. Like Diagon Alley. She goes home. But before Nott gets there, she apparates out, and we replace her with someone polyjuiced as her. I was thinking Scary Weasley." Draco explained.

"And then when Nott comes, we have the cavalry waiting." Neville jumped in.

"No."

Neville and Harry's heads both snapped toward Draco.

"Nott's intelligent. And he's sneaky. He'll _homenum revelio_ the house to see if she's alone before he goes in." Draco set his chair back down on all four legs.

"We're not going to let Bill take him on alone, especially not polyjuiced as a woman!" Harry protested.

"Of course not," Draco frowned. "As soon as Nott grabs our decoy, the decoy grabs a portkey. To where the cavalry is waiting." He smirked at Neville.

Neville smirked himself. "This could work."

"But Hermione lives in the Ministry Intern dorms," Harry pointed out. "When she goes home, she's not going to be there alone."

"Yeah, that's one of the points we have to work out." Draco nodded.

"She could move in with us at Grimmauld Place , and then we're just conveniently not home when Nott shows up." Harry suggested.

Draco shook his head. "No way is he going to believe that he could just walk into Harry Potter's house that easily. And I don't want her to move in with Hannah and Gretchen. Enough people come in and out over there, and I don't want to put anyone else in danger."

"It would be best if Hermione had her own place." Neville suggested.

"Hermione can't afford her own place." Harry sighed.

"I can." Draco said softly. "I can pay for a flat for her."

"She moves into her own place..." Neville started thinking out loud. "We'll need an excuse for why she's moving out of the interns' dorm in the middle of the session."

"Well, she needs more peace and quiet to study of course, this is Hermione we're talking about." Harry laughed.

"That can be her excuse at school." Draco grinned. "Then we could always leak a little something to Rita Skeeter suggesting that maybe she and Weasel are moving in together."

"She'll kill you," Neville smirked.

"That's why I'll do it," Draco snickered.

"So let's tell Shacklebolt we have a plan." Harry stood.


	46. I Love It When a Plan

Hermione Granger did not even hesitate to agree when asked to be the bait to catch a lethal former Death Eater.

She threw an epic tantrum when informed that Draco Malfoy would be paying for her flat.

"You're hurting my feelings, Granger," Draco drawled, leaning back into the corner of the sofa.

Neville and Harry had gotten the plan approved by Shacklebolt Tuesday morning, so the group met that evening at Grimmauld Place to bring everyone on board.

"As I've already mentioned, it is absolutely ridiculous for you to pay for a flat for me. Especially if we have to have a six month or whatever lease." Hermione folded her arms crossly.

He snorted and rolled his eyes. "And as I've already mentioned, it's ridiculous for you to react this way. Think of it as your reward for your part in catching Nott."

Neville looked from one to the other. "You know, this is funny. The two of you trying to out-stubborn the other. You're actually a lot alike. It's a wonder you didn't end up together."

"Oh HELL no!" Malfoy sat up straight at the same time Hermione leapt to her feet and shouted "Have you lost your bloody mind?"

Harry and Luna looked at each other in amusement.

"I don't even _want_ a key." Malfoy continued to argue with Hermione. "You don't have to worry about me sneaking over there."

Weasel pulled Hermione back down beside him on the loveseat. "So my girlfriend's not good enough for you, Malfoy?" he snarled. "Blood too dirty or something?"

Malfoy smirked. "Actually, I'm very happy with my jealous wife." He reached over to play with a strand of Luna's hair.

"_Luna_ jealous?" Harry leaned around her to look at Draco from the other end of the sofa.

"You weren't there when she threw Parkinson out of the Manor." Draco's smirk broke into a real grin.

"You threw Pansy Parkinson out of the Manor?" Hermione gaped at Luna, momentarily distracted from the argument.

Luna put her hand on her husband's thigh and smiled up at him before looking back at Hermione. "Well, she must have had a terrible wrackspurt infestation, because she just didn't understand when Draco clearly said he didn't want her any more, and she was having a terrible time finding her way back to the floo."

Neville snickered, having already heard the story.

"Granger," Draco returned to the original subject, relaxing his tense posture and snuggling closer to Luna. "You don't have to stay there after we catch Nott. But please. I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Getting you out of the dorm into your own place is the best way to make that happen. And it would be ridiculous for me to expect you to pay for everything under those circumstances."

"Okay," she finally agreed. "I will move in. At least. Then after we catch Nott, we'll figure out what to do with the flat." She looked at Draco and Luna. "You could move in there."

Draco rolled his eyes. "My parents have enough houses. I actually thought of having you to use one of my family's properties, but Nott knows most of them, and it would raise his suspicions."

"I'm only doing this because it's instrumental to the plan." Hermione continued to argue.

"Fine," Draco huffed. "We've established that. Now can we continue on with the _rest_ of the plan?"

"So Shacklebolt has already found a flat and made the initial inquiries in Hermione's name. She goes tomorrow to sign the lease." Weasel supplied.

"And moves in Friday or Saturday. So when do we want to try to arrange the argument?" Neville continued.

"The following weekend," Draco said. "It would look odd if I was in Diagon Alley on a school day. And if we try to do it the same weekend, it would look suspicious." He turned to Hermione. "Granger, I'm warning you. This argument is going to be vicious. We have to make this look real or everything is for naught."

"So you just have to stay out of trouble until we can pull the plan off." Neville grinned at Draco.

"Harry," Hermione looked pointedly at him. "You said yourself that our plans never work. We make plans, then when the time comes, all hell breaks loose."

"Yeah, but this isn't our plan," Weasel pointed out. "It's Malfoy's. And as much as I hate to admit this, it's a good one."

* * *

><p><strong><em>The End of the Golden Trio?<em>**

_by Rita Skeeter_

_Only months after their brilliant defeat of Lord Voldemort, sources are reporting that Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger are on the outs. The source of the contention? One Mr. Draco Malfoy, former Death Eater turned hero of the day. Mr. Potter and his fellow Auror trainee Neville Longbottom have been spending a great deal of time with the Malfoy heir, leaving Mr. Weasley out in the process. Despite Mr. Malfoy saving Miss Granger during the Battle of Hogwarts and her subsequent testimony at his war crimes trial, the two of them have never settled their differences which were well known during their days at Hogwarts. They have had several confrontations in private over the past weeks. Only last week, Mr. Weasley attempted to attack Mr. Malfoy in the waiting room at St. Mungo's Hospital. Things have gotten so strained between the Golden Trio over Mr. Potter's friendship with Mr. Malfoy that Mr. Weasley is moving out of the home that he has shared with Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom since graduation. His destination? Miss Granger just yesterday moved into a charming flat just off Diagon Alley, and the two love birds have been shopping for furniture. This writer believes we may hear wedding bells in the near future, but will Harry Potter be invited?_

* * *

><p>The following Friday night, Bill and Fleur joined Hermione and Ron at the new flat for a housewarming dinner. Or at least they made a huge show of picking out a gift in Diagon Alley and appearing at the door with it.<p>

Once inside, however, the topic quickly turned to the following day's sting.

"Here's your portkey." Ron handed Bill a dainty wristwatch. "The entire glass face. It just needs to touch skin to activate. Yours or his, it doesn't matter."

Bill nodded, laying the watch on the table. Hermione put a small bottle next to it.

"The polyjuice," she said needlessly.

"Are you sure about this?" Ron asked his brother.

Bill rolled his eyes. "I'm a professional cursebreaker. This will be easy."

"Why are you doing this, anyway?" the younger brother almost whined. "Why are we using a Gringotts cursebreaker instead of a professional auror?"

Bill picked up his glass of wine and took a long drink. "Because I see Susan Bones' face when we walked out that night. Because if Fleur wasn't pregnant, I would hunt the motherfucker down." He took another sip. "The world's not all black and white, Ron. There's good in the bad guys and bad in the good guys. Malfoy understands that I need to do this. I owe it to that girl."


	47. Goes All to Hell

After a two hour argument, Draco finally agreed to let Luna stay home alone with the house elves while he went to Diagon Alley. He flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and stopped by the apothecary. Coming out, he turned and headed up the street, almost walking into Hermione Granger, who came out of Flourish and Botts, of course, reading a book.

"I know you can't resist throwing yourself at me Granger, but in public?" he sneered.

"You miserable toad!" she snapped back. "I can't believe you said those things to Rita Skeeter!"

"Your boyfriend just doesn't get the hint. The Chosen One has outgrown him. And the only thing your precious Weasel knows how to do is to be a hanger-on!"

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you, Ferret Boy? You and your family hung onto Voldemort while it served your purposes, and now you're hanging on to Harry to ingratiate yourself back into society!" She was shouting loud enough for people inside the store to look out the windows.

Damn, this was going well.

"No, actually, is the Weasel's brain damage rubbing off on you? People hang on to me. I don't hang on to them." he was actually enjoying this.

"Only because you associate yourself with such losers that hanging onto you makes them look good!" she spat.

"Oh, so you're calling your precious Harry a loser?"

"No! I was talking about your Slytherin school friends. If you could even call them friends!"

"Better friends than yours! I didn't have to do their homework to keep them around!"

"Why are you so awful? I really thought you had changed! You even saved my life in the Battle of Hogwarts!"

"I went to save Luna! You and the Weasley girl just happened to be with her!"

"I can't believe anyone would be so cruel! You wouldn't have saved us if we weren't with Luna?"

"You're the fucking Gryffindor around here, not me!"

"You are such a miserable, pathetic, worthless... OOOOOOH! I just want to hex your balls off and be done with it!"

"You won't do that, love." he smirked at her.

"And why not? she roared back.

"Because then what would you fantasize about when you're with the Weasel?"

Her eyes went wide. Apparently he had shocked her with that one.

She didn't even vocalize a response. Her hand shot out and slapped his face.

He absolutely picked the right person to stage this fight with.

"You'll pay for that, bitch." he snarled and stormed away from her.

Hermione turned and practically ran back to her flat, heart pounded and breath laboring.

She slammed the front door behind her and flew to the secret compartment in the dining room. Shacklebolt had chosen this apartment for a reason. The wainscoting hid a built in vanishing cabinet that would take someone to the Minister's office.

Bill popped out of the hatch and handed her a pair of jeans and a top. He gulped down the polyjuice as Hermione tore her clothes off and put on the ones he handed her. By the time she was changed, Bill had transformed into her double and quickly dressed in the clothes she had just discarded.

"Good luck," the real Hermione kissed Bill's - her own - cheek before ducking into the vanishing cabinet.

The false Hermione carefully slipped on the watch, picked up the book from the dining room table, and went to the sitting room to wait.

Two hours later, there was a knock at the door. Quickly casting a charm to make his voice sound like Hermione, Bill opened it as much as the chain would allow to see Draco standing there.

"Hermione, can I come in? I want to apologize for what happened earlier." Draco asked, looking abashed.

The real Draco Malfoy never called her anything but Granger. Or Mudblood.

Bill shook his head. "Malfoy, I don't think that's a good idea. Ron isn't home..."

The fake Draco turned on the charm. "Please. I'll only stay a minute."

The fake Hermione hesitated a moment. "Okay. But just for a minute. And if you start anything, I'll hex you into next week."

"Deal." the fake Draco beamed at her.

Bill pushed the door slightly closed, sliding the chain off, before opening it wide to allow the Draco imposter in. He closed the door, turning so that his back was never to the visitor.

The Draco in front of him smiled, a chilling, evil smile. "Hello, Weasley."


	48. Bad Death Eater Very Bad

"Positions!" Shacklebolt shouted.

The front door of the flat had been charmed to alert him when it opened. Everyone jumped to attention, adrenaline in overdrive, not knowing how much time they had. Fourteen of the nineteen aurors who survived the war, Draco, Neville, Harry, Ron, Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, and Twin stood in a loose circle around the portkey destination.

Seconds later, the fake Hermione appeared on the ground, tangled around someone who looked like Draco, and all hell broke loose. There was blood on the two figures on the ground. Instead of immediately shoving himself free as planned, Scary struggled to keep a grip on Nott with his left hand while trying to retrieve his wand from his left sleeve with the other hand. Nott was desperately trying to push him off.

Half the circle was shouting for him to get clear. Scary was shouting something. Nott was shouting something. Ron dove in, trying to pull Scary away. Nott pointed his wand skyward and sparks flew into the air.

Draco finally caught what Scary was saying. "He fucking _knows_!"

He dove for Nott just as everything went dark. Draco's hand landed on Nott's shoulder a split second after Scary's hand was pried loose.

He immediately felt the pull of side along apparition.

They landed on a deserted stretch of beach Draco didn't recognize. Nott took advantage of Draco's momentary disorientation to punch him, hard. Without thinking, Draco let go of Nott to curl his own hand into a fist in anticipation of a fight.

"Things to do," Nott winked and disappeared.

Draco roared in frustration and punched the sand. He apparated back to the rendezvous point.

Now everyone was shouting.

Kingsley grabbed Draco when he reappeared and stuck a wand under his chin. "Where did you throw me on the floor?"

"Room above the kitchen at the Manor." Draco gasped out.

Shacklebolt nodded and released him. "Enough!" he roared at the crowd. "Alpha division, get back to headquarters and start tracing apparations. Beta division - get to Hermione's flat and start gathering evidence. Gamma - work the scene here." He turned to the trainees and unofficial aurors. "The rest of you, come with me."

"Apparate to the Burrow and floo to Grimmauld?" Arthur suggested.

Shacklebolt nodded.

The group did just that, surprising Molly, who insisted on coming to Grimmauld Place with them. She and Kreacher prepared coffee and tea and produced a plate of cookies and pastries as everyone gathered around the table.

"Bill, what happened?" his father asked.

"He fucking knew! He showed up at the door disguised as Draco, asked to come in and apologize. I knew at once it was an imposter because he said 'Hermione'. I let him in, closed the door, and he said 'Hello, Weasley.' I grabbed him, he tried to knock me off, but I held on and hit the portkey. Figured it was best to get backup as soon as possible."

Molly brought over a damp cloth and wiped his face, then healed his broken nose. She then took a jar of cream from a side cupboard and rubbed a dab on the bruise forming on Draco's jaw.

"Then you appeared in the clearing, trying to hold onto him, but Weasel here had to pull you loose so he could get away." Draco snorted.

"How?" Harry jumped in. "We put up an anti-apparation jinx. He threw his wand up and cancelled it immediately. There are multiple versions of the spell, but he got the right cancellation on the first try."

"And had Peruvian darkness powder at the ready to throw immediately." Twin continued. "I'm really starting to regret carrying that stuff, because it certainly seems to come in handy for Death Eaters."

"We've got a leak in the department." Neville said. "The profiler said he was probably in contact with someone near Draco."

"We've got a leak in this fucking room you mean!" Ron shouted, turning to Draco. "You hate me. So which was it you wanted to knock off, _another _one of my brothers, or my girlfriend?"

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Draco roared back. "I set up the plan to catch Nott! Why would I have tipped him off?"

"Enough F words!" Molly shouted over all of them.

Shacklebolt put down his coffee and looked around the table. "Everyone in this room had too much to lose if this went bad. The leak is in the auror department."

"Who knew the details?" Draco asked.

"Unfortunately, all of them." Shacklebolt sighed. "Even the ones who weren't involved in the trap had some knowledge of what we were doing because they had to cover for the aurors who were involved." He closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. He opened his eyes again and looked down the table.

"Draco, what happened when you grabbed him? I'm figuring he apparated out and you got pulled along."

The blond nodded. "Exactly. We landed on a beach somewhere. No idea where. As soon as we landed, he hit me. I let go to punch him back but he said 'Things to do' and apparated off again."

The color drained from Draco's face. "Luna's home alone." He jumped up from the table, knocking his chair over in the process and ran out the front door, apparating home as soon as he hit the boundary.

He landed in the front yard. Neville appeared with a crack seconds later.

They were too late. The front door hung crookedly by one hinge, the decorative glass shattered. He heard more cracks behind him, but was already at the door and didn't look back.

Luna lay in the foyer, covered in blood, eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling.

Draco couldn't even form a coherent thought, much less words. He made a strangled cry and flung himself on the floor next to his wife.

"Riddikulus!" Neville shouted behind him.

Luna disappeared.

He got to his hands and knees, shuddering and gasping and trying to control his racing heart. Neville knelt beside him, a hand on Draco's back.

"It was a boggart. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real." Neville whispered soothingly.

Draco nodded, waiting a moment to become more steady before trying to stand.

Harry, Scary, Twin, and Mr. Weasley all rushed past them, splitting up to search the house.

"Amateurs." Neville rolled his eyes, held his wand up, and said "Homenum revelio."

He and Draco counted off the shadowy figures.

Luna was not in the house.

Scary came back down the stairs as Draco finally made it to his feet.

"There's no sign of her. But there are signs of a struggle." He reported grimly.

Draco started to hyperventilate again.

"There's no sign of the house elves either." Harry said softly. Draco hadn't even noticed he was in the room. "I'm sure they got her somewhere to safety."

Draco nodded, trying to focus on slowing his breathing.

The floo roared to life. All of them whirled with their wands drawn.

"Draco," Shacklebolt called. "Luna is at Malfoy Manor. She's okay."

"But what's wrong?" Draco caught something in the man's tone of voice.

"Nott was here. Your father took a stunning spell to the chest. He appears to be all right, but I'm sending him to St Mungo's to be checked out because of the recent chest injury."

Draco nodded. "Thanks. I'm coming through."

Draco stepped out of the floo at the Manor to find Luna waiting for him. She threw her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have insisted on staying home."

He shuddered again at the memory of the boggart. "You're okay and that's all that matters. I thought I had lost you."

Shacklebolt, Mrs. Weasley, and Weasel stood behind her.

"We came here when the rest of you went to Hogsmeade, just in case." Shacklebolt told him. "Nott blasted the door at your house. The house elves and Luna got into a brief duel with him, before the elves grabbed her and apparated here. But of course I never thought about adding Luna to the anti-apparation jinx on the house, so they had to apparate onto the grounds. Lucius saw them arrive and then Nott appear behind them, so your parents went out to help get her into the house." Something about the way Shacklebolt said it sounded a little off to Draco, but he decided he would just ask later. "Between your parents and all the house elves, they got Luna into the house safely, but your dad was hit. The house elves drove Nott away. I've already sent your parents on to St Mungo's. Everything is under control here, if you want to head over there. "

Draco looked at Luna. "I want you to get checked over too."

"I'm fine. Nothing hit me, I didn't get knocked down, anything like that." she assured him.

"Then it won't hurt anything for a healer to take a look at you." he replied stubbornly.

Luna shook her head and followed him to the floo.

They arrived at St Mungo's just as the healer came to speak to Narcissa. Lucius appeared to be all right, sore of course, but because of the fact he had trouble breathing right after being hit with the spell, they were going to keep him overnight for observation.

"I'd like you to check my wife over as well," Draco informed the healer in his Do Not Argue With A Malfoy voice. "She's five and a half months pregnant. She doesn't think she was hit with any spells, but she did have to run, and of course the stress of being attacked."

"Of course. You can go see Mr. Malfoy, and I will inform you as soon as I'm done with your wife." the old man lead Luna into another exam room.

Narcissa grabbed him into a hug before he could open the door. Draco wrapped his arms around her, slightly shocked at her trembling.

"Mother, are you all right?" Obviously they hadn't told him everything that had happened. "Were you hit or..."

"No, no," she pulled back to look at his face, shaking her head. "I'm just glad you're all right. And everyone else is all right."

He was missing something here.

They made their way into the room, to find Lucius sitting up in bed looking rather irritable. His face softened when he saw them. "This one is my son," he whispered, holding his hand out.

Draco felt as if he had been doused in ice water. "You thought it was me. You thought I was the one after Luna."

His mother looked at him sadly. "You father heard the cracks when Luna and the house elves came into the gardens. He jumped up and looked out the window. Then he saw you appear behind her and start flinging spells at her. We had no idea what was going on. But as soon as we got out there and took one look at him, we both knew it wasn't you. Then we were afraid that he had gotten to you, done something to you."

Draco nodded, understanding that his parents would probably never tell the full story of what they had felt that afternoon. He sat on the side of his father's bed, reaching across for his mother who sat on the opposite side, and pulled both of his parents into a three cornered hug. The Malfoys clung together until the healer came in.

* * *

><p>AN - Sorry for the late update. I was going to post this yesterday. But I was going to cut it off when Draco walked into the house and found "Luna". Then I decided I just couldn't be that mean. ;)


	49. Muggle Magic and Leak Looking

Draco sprang from the bed and halfway across the room as soon as the door opened.

"Is she.." he began, but the healer held up a hand.

"She's well, considering what she's been through," the old man responded calmly.

"What do you mean, considering? What's wrong?" Draco stormed past the man, headed for the door.

"Mr. Malfoy!" the healer's voice halted him. The man continued calmly. "You wife is fairly well, but her blood pressure is a little elevated. Not dangerously so, and not surprising, considering the day's events. I would like to keep her here overnight, just to make sure it comes down. And I'd rather you didn't get upset and raise her blood pressure further."

Draco's mouth opened and closed, as if he wasn't sure what to say.

"You can see her," the healer carried on. "You can even stay here with her tonight if you wish." Draco's head nodded instantly. "But I do have something interesting you may like to see." The old man's eyes twinkled.

"Okay," Draco looked uncertain.

The healer looked at Narcissa. "You may come as well, madam. I'm sure they will show you later, Mr. Malfoy." he nodded at Lucius.

The healer - Alderbourne, by his name tag - lead them a few doors down the hallway. "One of our healers in the maternity unit has a muggle cousin who is a doctor. As you can imagine, the two of them frequently talk about the differences or similarities in their medical practices. These discussions led to St Mungo's aquiring a certain muggle medical instrument. While muggles depend on these machines for much of the diagnostic information we can gather from spells and charms, we have had quite a bit of fun just using this as a curiosity."

Before Draco or Narcissa could ask what on earth the man was talking about, he opened the door, and ushered them into the room. Luna lay on her back on a cot, smiling when they came in. Draco immediately crossed the room to kiss her forehead.

"I told you we were fine," she smiled up at him. "But you're very sweet to be so concerned."

"Don't tell anyone," he whispered back with a smirk.

Healer Alderbourne had walked around to the other side of the cot. "This is what the muggles call an ultrasound machine." he indicated a strange device, quite unlike anything Draco or Narcissa had seen before.

"And what is it for?" Draco asked, a little more edge to his voice than necessary.

"It allows you to see the baby while still inside the mother," the healer smiled.

Narcissa's eyes went huge. "We can see the baby?"

"It's not going to hurt Luna or the baby?" Draco frowned.

"No, not at all. I just rub some of this potion, I mean gel, on her skin, and then touch this device to it, and the image appears on this screen." he pointed at an odd black rectangle. "It won't look like a picture, just like a reverse shadow, well, you'll see what I mean in a moment."

The healer pulled Luna's shirt up far enough to expose the baby bump. He applied the clear goo, did something with the machines, touched the device to Luna's belly, and made some adjustments to the machine.

Draco reached over to hold her hand. Just in case the man was wrong, and it did hurt.

"Ah, here we go," the healer laughed. "We've started at the wrong end. There's his feet."

Draco looked at the little rectangle. He could see the outline of two little feet. That was their baby's feet.

The healer moved the weird wand-like thing around. "There's his little bum, and yes, there, it's definitely a boy."

Draco sneaked a look at Luna and then his mother, who were both watching in rapt fascination.

"The movement you see on the chest is his heartbeat. Oh, me. I should have turned the sound on so you could hear it."

He flipped a switch on the machine, and a strange sound filled the air.

"What's wrong with his heart? It sounds like he's under water." Draco frowned at the healer.

Alderbourne smiled. "Well, actually, he is surrounded by fluid. But yes, his heart sounds just as it's supposed to. Strong and even."

Draco felt a bit stupid for a moment, but then he looked at Luna again. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. He smiled back at her.

"And there is his face."

The baby's head appeared in a perfect profile.

Luna giggled. "He looks just like you, Draco."

"No," Narcissa said breathlessly, her eyes filling with tears. "He looks like Orion."

"Orion was my oldest brother," Draco whispered to Luna.

"Orion..." Narcissa choked back a sob. Draco handed her his handerkerchief. "Orion lived two hours. The other two were stillborn."

"My mother always said the things you lose have a way of coming back to you, but not always in the way you would expect." Luna released her husband's hand to reach for her mother in law. Draco slipped his arm around his mother's waist and pulled her to his side.

The healer was doing something with the machine that caused it to make a different noise. The Malfoys ignored him for a moment.

Narcissa squeezed Luna's hand and hugged Draco with an arm around his waist. "I can't wait to meet my grandson."

Luna smiled at her sweetly. "I have a feeling the next one will be a girl."

Narcissa's eyes widened again. Draco shook his head and looked at his wife. "Don't tell me, okay?"

The healer cleared his throat. "Something I neglected to mention this machine could do." He held out black and white, well, not parchments, but something like them. "We can print pictures of what we've seen."

Narcissa snatched one, looking like a little girl on Christmas. "I've got to show Lucius!" She practically ran from the room. Luna took the others.

The healer handed Luna a damp cloth. "Here, you can wipe the gel off. I'm going to see to the arrangements for your overnight room. I think I can get two rooms with an adjoining door so the whole family will be close tonight."

"Thank you," Draco told the man sincerely.

"That's why we're here," Alderbourne smiled and left them alone.

Draco took the cloth from Luna and gently wiped her belly. Then he placed his hand over it, smiling at her.

"He's beautiful," she said softly.

Draco nodded, his smile fading, unable to speak for a moment.

"I know," she placed her hand over his.

"Thank you," he choked out. He took a deep breath. "You could have gotten rid of him. Your life would have been easier if you had. But thank you..." he bit his lip, refusing to give into the emotions.

"I would never destroy part of you," she angled up to place a kiss on his nose.

There was a knock at the door, destroying the moment. Draco strode over, debating the idea of punching whomever was on the other side of that door.

It was Neville. He opened the door wider to let the visitor in, but Neville grabbed Draco's wrist and pulled him into the hall instead.

"He'll be right back," Neville stuck his head in the door to tell Luna.

Harry, Weasel, and Granger waited in the hall. Neville stood between Draco and the door, as if to block a retreat.

Weasel looked at the floor, then at Draco. "Look, I'm, um, sorry, you know, for what I said in that meeting. I know you wouldn't have jeopardized the plan."

Draco nodded, then looked at Granger. "Are you all right? I'm sorry, I never would have even suggested any of it if I had known."

She nodded. "I'm fine. I missed all the excitement sitting in the Ministry. I know you had no idea there was a leak in the department."

Draco looked at Harry. "Is Scary okay? And everyone else?"

"Why do you never call my brothers by their names?" Weasel shouted at him.

"Because I don't know their names!" Draco shouted back. "I know you from school, I know Ginny's name from the Chamber of Secrets ordeal, but I've never been introduced to the rest and no one has caught on to that yet!"

Harry started laughing. Pretty soon all five of them were laughing.

"I might have to borrow Granger's notes." Draco joked. "That's a lot of names to learn."

They all laughed harder.

"When are you leaving?" Neville asked. "I'll take you back to the Burrow and introduce you to everyone."

"They're keeping Luna and my father overnight just as a precaution." Draco sobered. "I'm not leaving until they go home."

The rest of the group nodded.

"But come here, you've got to see the pictures of my son," Draco broke into a wide grin and herded them all into the room.

* * *

><p>Shacklebolt came later that evening, as Luna napped after dinner. He asked Draco to take a walk with him. Draco didn't want to leave Luna, but Shacklebolt stationed Neville in Luna's room, and assured him that between Neville and his mother, no harm would come to his wife or his father.<p>

They walked to the dining area, ordering a meal for each and sitting in the back corner with a silencing charm around them.

"I heard they're both all right, but are being kept overnight for observation." Shacklebolt started off.

Draco nodded grimly. "If I get my hands on Nott first, you won't need a trial."

The Minister sighed. "Draco, don't. Don't lower yourself to his level."

"I could have lost Luna and the baby today. He made me think I had. I will not be that...I don't even know what to call it, but I will not feel that way ever again." Draco's voice was soft but intense. The tone that those close to him had learned to fear.

"Draco..." Shacklebolt shook his head, knowing that arguing would get him nowhere at the moment.

"So what about finding the leak?" the younger man asked.

"I'm working on it, with Potter, Longbottom, Weasley, and Dawlish. I hate to say it, but they're the only ones I can really trust. It's going to be a huge undertaking. Our first step has been to isolate Nott's magical signature, and we'll be checking as many traces of it we can find, to check for any other magical signatures in the area, see if we can connect it to any of the aurors."

"But that's like looking for a single grain of sand on a beach," Draco shook his head, before taking a sip of his drink.

"Pretty much," Shacklebolt agreed. "And if the leak is smart, they won't perform any magic around Nott. Or wouldn't even meet him directly, but pass the information through an intermediary."

"I know he hates me more than anyone else there, but I don't think it's Robards." Draco jabbed a piece of potato.

"Why not?" Shacklebolt looked at him speculatively.

"He's too wrapped up in making the collar, getting the bad guy into Azkaban. He's not going to help one." Draco shrugged, but watched carefully for the older man's reaction.

A hint of a smile played around the Minister's lips. "Yeah, I agree with you. You sure you don't want to be an auror, when all this is over? You have good instincts."

Draco shook his head. "I appreaciate the offer. Really. It means a lot to know you have that much faith in me. But I kind of like my life like it is, or at least like it would be, if Nott wasn't intent on ruining it. Teaching at Hogwarts, coming home to Luna at night." Draco finished off his butterbeer. "Speaking of which, I want to get back up to her."

Shacklebolt knocked back the rest of his drink and stood as well. "I'll walk you back up."

They found Luna awake, chatting with Neville about a letter from her father.

"I'm glad he's not here, with all this going on," she told Draco when they were alone. "He would be terribly worried."

Draco checked on his father, making sure everything was good in the other room, before unfolding the rollaway cot the healer's assistant had brought in, and settled in for the night, wand in his hand.

* * *

><p>AN - just a little light and fluffy goodness, to make up for the darkness that's coming.


	50. Nightmares and New Twists

Blood.

There was so much blood. And death.

They were all dead. Staring into his soul with vacant eyes. Snape. Crabbe. Blaise. Teddy's parents. The Weasley twin. Lavender whatever her name was. Creevey with the camera. So, so many people he didn't know.

He ran from the Great Hall, wanting to get as far away as possible. He ran up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower.

Dumbledore was there. In the exact same place Draco found him _that_ night. With the same empty eyes as everyone downstairs.

"I would have protected you, Draco. You and your family. You would have been safe, far away from the fighting. But you let the Death Eaters in here to kill me. And to kill him." The old man looked over Draco's shoulder.

Draco turned. Theo stood there. Covered in blood. With wide sightless eyes.

"I was your brother. You should have had my back. I shielded you, the least you could have done was return the favor. But you had to save a girl. And you couldn't even save her." Dead Theo pointed.

Draco turned around to see Emily Hopkirk on the floor, her Ravenclaw uniform torn and smeared with blood.

But then it wasn't Emily. Her hair wasn't brown, it was pale blond. She was much smaller. And had a baby bump.

"Draco, wake up!" Luna was shaking him.

He was on the folding cot at St Mungo's. His parents stood on the other side of the bed, his father's hand on his arm and his mother's hand pressed to her mouth.

He was drenched in sweat and shaking. Luna smoothed his hair from his face and whispered. "It's okay. You're safe."

He pulled her against his chest fiercely, burying his face in her hair. "You're not dead." He mumbled. "But the rest of them are."

There was some tea left from earlier. His mother warmed a cup and tried to hand it to him, taking it back when she saw how badly his hands were shaking.

"I think he needs firewhiskey right now," he father muttered.

"Yes, but we don't have any," his mother rolled her eyes.

His trembling gradually slowed, and he was able to drink the tea, although he kept Luna pressed against himself as tightly as he could with one arm.

"This is ridiculous," he grumbled. "We all need to go back to bed."

His mother kissed his forehead and his father patted his shoulder, both wishing him good night.

Luna tried to pull away, but he held on to her, pulling both of them off the far side of the bed. He shoved the two beds together with his leg, and then transfigured them into one big bed. He then loosened his grip long enough for her to climb into bed and him to scoot in beside her. Within moments, her back was snuggled against his chest.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked. "We could ask the healer for a sleeping draught for you. Or maybe some chicken soup."

"Just need to be close to you," he mumbled into her hair.

"Draco, if you get any closer, you'll be on the other side of me."

He fell asleep smiling.

* * *

><p>Alderbourne came in after breakfast. He checked Lucius over first, proclaiming him no worse for wear and clearing him to go home. The healer then shooed Draco into the other room with his parents while he checked Luna.<p>

Draco stopped short when he saw the looks on his parents' faces.

"We need to talk," his mother said, as if he hadn't already figured that out.

"What's on your minds?" their son asked, suspecting he wasn't going to like where this conversation was going to end up.

"Last night, during your nightmare," his mother began. "You...shouted Luna's name. You also shouted Theo."

"It was a nightmare," Draco looked at the floor.

"Son, we haven't talked about the situation since the wedding and my unfortunate injury." Draco rolled his eyes at his father's euphemism. "Well, your mother and I have discussed the matter privately, of course, but we haven't talked with you to see how you were processing everything." Lucius looked as uncomfortable as Draco felt.

"You mean how I feel about finding out one of my best friends was actually my brother?" Draco shook his head. "I haven't really thought about it. I've had a few other things to worry about."

"Draco, I know you have a lot to deal with right now, but sooner or later you'll have to face this as well. Your father and I are working through it. It's a lot for us to deal with as well, but if you want to talk about it, we want you to talk to us." his mother stepped closer to him, reaching for his cheek.

The invasion was so sudden and unexpected that it took Draco a moment to raise his mental shields. By that time, his father had seen exactly what he was looking for. The details of the nightmare.

"You used legilimency on me! You son of a bitch!" Draco roared.

"Yes, actually I was, which makes you the grandson of a bitch." Lucius replied coolly. His entire demeanor softened. "Draco, you can't blame yourself for Theo's death. It was a war."

"I do _NOT_ want to talk about this," Draco turned back toward Luna's room, determined to interrupt whether the healer liked it or not.

Before he reached the door, it opened. Alderbourne had a grim look on his face.

"What?" Draco snapped.

Alderbourne looked at him as if he were the source of all the world's problems. "Mrs. Malfoy's blood pressure is still a little elevated. She told me that you had nightmares last night, and perhaps all of you are still a bit in shock over what happened yesterday. But the elevated blood pressure could be an early warning sign of possible complications, so I want to keep her here a little longer."

Draco felt all of his hostility drain away. "What kind of complications?"

"There is a small chance that the blood pressure could continue to elevate, which could lead to premature labor or fetal death. And possibly the death of the mother. Like I said, the chances are minimal, but the potential outcomes are significant enough that we would want to take all possible precautions."

"What can you do for them?" Draco asked hoarsely. Narcissa stepped up and slipped her hand into his.

"Well, her blood pressure has come down slightly, just not as much as I would have liked." the healer smiled. "I want to keep her here a little longer, keep her calm and her stress levels to a minimum, and see what happens over the next day or two. I want you," he fixed Draco with a piercing stare "to go home, at least for most of the day, so she can rest. But I am going to want her blood pressure monitored after she's released."

Draco nodded. "Can we do that at the hospital wing at Hogwarts?"

Alderbourne smiled. "Of course. You can even check it yourselves at home. I'll show you how."

Shacklebolt arrived at that moment, to check on the patients and the status of returning the Malfoys home.

"Don't you ever rest?" Draco asked.

The Minister shrugged. "No. Plenty of time for that when I'm too old to do anything else."

The healer excused himself to allow the Malfoys to fill him in on Lucius' and Luna's conditions.

"He's been sniffing too many potions if he thinks I'm going to leave Luna here unprotected and just go home." Draco finished.

Shacklebolt smiled like an indulgent father. "Draco, he's right. She needs to rest, and you're worked up, which is naturally going to affect her on some level. Why don't you let your mother or maybe Molly Weasley stay with her today, and I'll send someone over to watch over both of them. Then you can come help me, if you don't have anything else pressing."

Draco stared at him for a long moment before stealing glances at his parents, who both nodded slightly. "Fine," he blew out the breath he didm't realize he was holding. "But I want to talk to Luna, make sure she's okay with it, and I'm not leaving until I'm satisfied with who's going to be watching her."

"Fair enough," Shacklebolt said. "I'll have someone over here soon." He left to arrange a guard.

To Draco's disappointment, Luna was not pleased about having to stay longer, but didn't insist on him staying with her.

An hour later, Robards knocked on the door of Luna's room. Draco stepped into the hall to speak with him.

"Shacklebolt sent me," the auror said. "I'm supposed to remind you of your conversation with him at dinner last night. He said for you to see your father home and then meet him at his office."

Draco nodded. "I'm presuming you know everything that happened yesterday. And why I'm hesitant to leave my wife and my mother with anyone, auror or not."

Robards looked at him seriously. "Yeah. My wife is pregnant too. If I was in your shoes, I'd have a problem trusting anyone else with her safety."

"Really?" Draco smirked. "Someone would marry a prick like you?"

Robards shrugged. "Why not? Someone married a prick like you."

The two grinned at each other with a grudging respect.

"So what's the plan?" Draco asked.

"I'm on duty here until 3. Then Arthur Weasley is coming until 7. By then, you'll either be back, or Shacklebolt will set up someone to cover the evening."

"Thank you," Draco said honestly. "Do you want to go to the loo or get a drink or something before I leave?"

Robards left to do those things while Draco collected Lucius and said goodbye to Luna and Narcissa. Once the auror returned and everyone was settled, Draco accompanied his father back to the Manor. All five house elves were present, and agreed for at least two to stay with the master. Draco then flooed to the Ministry, where he found Shacklebolt reviewing the aurors' personnel files. He shoved a stack across desk.

"What are we looking for?" Draco asked, picking up a folder and depositing himself in a chair.

"Whatever doesn't look or sound right." Shacklebolt looked up for just a brief second.

They worked in silence for hours, other than to occasionally comment on odd facts about the aurors.

"Savage has an identical twin who's the travel coordinator for the Harpies."

"Vander Houten plays 11 different musical instruments."

After three hours they were down to the last two charts.

"Berryhill was a Slytherin," Draco commented, eyebrow arched. "Bet you don't get too many of those."

"You didn't know him?" Shacklebolt frowned. "He's not that much older than you are. You should have overlapped a year or two."

Draco shook his head. "He only went there his first four years. Then his father took a job in Germany , so the family moved and he was transferred to Durmstrang. He says he hated it and begged to go back to Hogwarts." Draco flipped a couple pages. "He left Hogwarts in June of 1989 and I started there in September of 1991. We never met, but we must know some of the same people."

Shacklebolt sighed. "He would have been there before Voldemort's resurrection and recruitment drive. But it might still be worth checking for family involvements with the Death Eaters." He held up the folder he had been reading. "Interesting tidbit in this one too. Nolan's father remarried after her mother's death. To one Letizia Vincente Andrakis Zambini Abbott Nolan. Who of course, married 4 or 5 more times after that."

"Wait, you mean Blaise's brother Thorne Nolan is her brother too?" Draco was stunned. "That certainly puts a different light on some things."

"Blaise's mother actually stayed married to Nolan's father longer than any of them. Almost five years. And he's the only one of her dead husbands she was never suspected of killing. He was struck by lightning at a Quidditch match." Shacklebolt looked at Draco over the file, eyes narrowed. "What were Blaise and his mother's sympathies during the war?"

Draco put down Berryhill's file to meet Shacklebolt's gaze. "That's something that's bothered me since the Battle of Hogwarts. Blaise and his family were notoriously neutral. He and Thorne were two more brainwashed pureblood supremacy bastards, but they never gave any hint of supporting Voldemort or opposing him. Blaise and Thorne were with the rest of the Slytherins when they were escorted out before the fighting began. But at the end of the battle, Blaise was dead in the Great Hall. I have no idea when he came back or even which side he was fighting on."

Shacklebolt tossed Nolan's file onto the desk. "Well then, I think our next step is to find out how Blaise died."


	51. Interesting Developments

Draco stopped by the house for a change of clothes and his lesson plan book and returned to St Mungo's a little after 6 that evening. He stopped by the ward work station to check in before going to Luna's room.

"You just missed Healer Alderbourne," the matron informed him. "He went off duty at 6. Your wife had a fairly quiet afternoon. Healer Bowman is on duty now. She's making rounds, but she started at the other end of the hall. She should be in to see your wife soon."

Draco went to Luna's room to find her laughing as the Weasley parents recounted stories of the twins' misadventures. To his surprise, both of the older adults greeted him warmly, Mrs. Weasley with a hug and Mr. Weasley with a handshake and clap on the shoulder. Luna assured him that she felt fine and had enjoyed her afternoon.

"Where's my mother?" Draco asked, looking around.

"Healer Alderbourne sent her home," Molly rolled her eyes. "Your father was wearing the floo out."

Draco frowned, but Luna spoke before he could say anything. "He was worried. He kept calling to make sure we were safe and my blood pressure was stable and someone was watching over us. Healer Alderbourne joked about bringing him back here to check his blood pressure." She gave him the I've Got a Secret Smile. "You Malfoy men are more protective than a mother tanicor with only one kitten."

Draco snorted. "Don't tell people."

The Weasleys stayed another half an hour, and Draco refused to admit it, but he enjoyed their company. The second shift healer came in, finding Luna's blood pressure back within normal range, and stated if it stayed that way, she could go home in the morning.

Just before 7, Shacklebolt arrived. He asked after Luna, and made small talk for a few minutes.

"Kingsley, if you've got this, I think we're going to head home," Arthur said, standing and extending his hand as if he were leaving a dinner party.

"Absolutely," the Minister shook his hand. "Thank you both for coming."

Draco thanked the Weasleys as well, who said their goodbyes, insisting that Draco contact them immediately if anything were to change with Luna or if she needed someone to sit with her the next day.

"I'm staying tonight," Draco announced when they had left.

"As if I expected anything else," Shacklebolt smiled. "I'm not going to have a guard outside the door tonight, but I am having the ward locked down. No one in or out until 7am, when Neville is going to bring your mother back here so you can get to school."

Draco nodded.

Shacklebolt continued. "I'm going to be checking out things on that last chart we discussed today. In fact, I already have. I stopped by her flat earlier to ask a question and checked for magical signatures. Didn't find Nott's of course, but there was a strong stale one. Someone who had been there a lot, but not recently. I'm pretty sure it was Blaise, but I'll be looking into it further, of course. And I've called for all the reports I can find on the Battle of Hogwarts so I can try to reconstruct Blaise's part in it."

"Let me know what you find out," Draco said. "And I may try to talk to Thorne tomorrow."

"Just be careful," The Minister warned.

* * *

><p>After an uneventful night, Draco grudgingly went off to school, leaving his wife in the care of his mother and best friend.<p>

The morning at school was fairly uneventful as well. His class just before lunch was fifth year Slytherin and Gyffindors.

"Mr. Nolan, could I have a word?" Draco called as the students began to make their way out.

"Sir?" the dark haired boy asked.

"You're not in trouble," Draco assured.

Once they were alone, the teacher threw a silencing charm at the doorway.

"I've known you and Blaise for years, but how did I never know you had an older sister?"

The boy shrugged. "She's a good bit older. She wasn't around too much. I can't say why Blaise never mentioned her, but you and I have never had a lot of personal conversations anyway."

Textbook Slytherin avoidance answer. Noncommital and not confrontational.

"Do you have much contact with her?" Draco asked.

"She owls every week, asks me about school, sends Christmas and birthday gifts. I see her a few times a year. We're eleven years apart. We run with different crowds." Thorne's voice was deliberately casual, but his eyes showed that he was very interested in this conversation.

Draco made a mental note of the fact he had never seen Blaise receive owls or packages from her. Or at least if he had, he hadn't been honest as to whom they were from.

"Something I've wondered about, since the Battle of Hogwarts," Draco looked at the boy carefully. "You and Blaise were with the Slytherins who were evacuated. How did Blaise end up back in the Great Hall?"

Thorne stared hard at him for a moment. "I don't really know. We were taken down to the dungeons and then out through a tunnel to Hogsmeade. I was up front with a couple of my friends. Blaise was toward the back with Tracey, of course. At some point, when we got to town, I looked around for him, but I couldn't find him. Tracey said he had left her talking with Pansy, she didn't know where he was."

The kid was lying.

Draco cancelled the silencing charm. "Well, I hope I didn't bring up too many bad memories." He said by way of dismissal.

"No, it's fine." Thorne picked up his books from the desk and slowly walked out.

At lunchtime, McGonagall informed him that his mother had called to let him know that Luna had been released from St Mungo's and was at the Manor.

After his last class, Draco flooed to the Ministry before he went home. He found the Minister still at his desk, although the building was nearly empty.

"I only need just a moment, if you can," Draco told him.

"Of course," Shacklebolt invited him into his office, closing the door and sealing it with locking and silencing charms.

"I spoke with Thorne Nolan today. I didn't get any solid information, but there were two odd things. First of all, he lied to me when he denied knowing anything about how Blaise ended up back in the school." Draco ran his hand through his hair. "And the other was that there was just something odd about the way he mentioned Tracey Davis talking to Blaise that night. I can't put my finger on it, but something just wasn't right."

Shacklebolt held up a stack of parchments. "Don't worry about putting your finger on it. That's the second time the name Tracey Davis has come up in connection to Blaise today."

Draco arched an eyebrow. "What have you got?"

"Titus Nolan, according to his will, left half his estate to his wife, and the other half to be divided between his _three_ children, Jessamy, Blaise, and Thorne. Between that bequest and his inheritance from his biological father, Blaise was worth a little over a million galleons on his own. He, in turn, had made a will leaving 25% of his estate to Jessamy, and the remainder to Thorne, with Jessamy as the trustee until Thorne turns 21." Shacklebolt flipped over a couple pages. "Here's where it gets interesting. On the first of July, Jessamy signed her portion of Blaise's money over to Tracey Davis. Of course, Jessamy has enough savings of her own to live comfortably without her auror's salary, but that's a lot of money just to hand over to your brother's schoolmate."

Draco blinked and shook his head. "Wow. And as far as anyone knew, Blaise and Tracey weren't anything more than just schoolmates. I mean, he hung out with her, but not any more than he did with me or Pansy. Actually, probably less than he did with Pansy. Tracey was actually closer to Theo. He had a crush on her." He ran his hand through his hair. "And Davis' father was an active Death Eater."

"Currently in Azkaban."

"What about Tracey?"

Shacklebolt poked another parchment on his desk. "Missing. No one has heard from her since the morning after she left Hogwarts, other than the day she showed up to sign the documents accepting the inheritance from Blaise."

"What about the magical signature you mentioned yesterday? Do you think Blaise was spending a lot of time with Jessamy?" Draco asked.

Shacklebolt sorted the papers. "It actually looks like Blaise and Thorne may have been living with Jessamy the past two years rather than with their mother."

Draco wondered how many more surprises were coming. "That's just...bizarre. Thorne said he gets letters from his sister every week and packages from time to time, but if Blaise got anything from her while we were at school, he never told anyone who they were from. In fact, I never knew he had a stepsister, and I'm pretty sure no one else did either."

"It gets better. One of Letizia's husbands after Titus Nolan was Andrew Thacker, a known Death Eater." Shacklebolt sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I like Nolan. I really do. She's a damn good auror. I never would have picked her for the leak. But it looks like we may be on the right track."

* * *

><p>Luna was allowed to return to school on Wednesday, with the understanding that she was to take it easy, rest when possible, and keep her feet elevated when possible. Although he was still concerned about her blood pressure, Draco was somewhat relieved to have her in the same building all day. Several of her friends volunteered to walk her between classes and let Draco know if she wasn't well, for which he was grateful. She went to the hospital wing and had her blood pressure checked twice during the day, and again before they left after the last class, and it was fine each time according to Madam Pomfrey.<p>

They had a quiet dinner at home. Afterwards, Luna took a bubble bath while Draco sat in front of the fire in their bedroom, grading hideous excuses for essays on DADA written by first year Hufflepuffs.

Tabby came to the door. "Master Draco has a visitor in the sitting room." the little elf said, wringing her hands.

"Who is it?" he frowned.

"Tabby does not know. The lady came through the floo and said she need to speak with Master Draco."

He instructed the elf to stay near Luna, and made his way downstairs to find Jessamy Nolan in his sitting room. His wand was pointed at her by the time she looked up.

"Malfoy," she said, taking her own wand and handing it to him. "I need to talk to you."

He took the wand, frowning at the peace gesture, wondering what she was up to, and motioned for her to have a seat.

"What is this all about?" he asked.

She sighed. "I know you've been asking questions about me and my relationship with my brothers and their mother. I know why you're doing it. But I swear to you, I'm not the leak, and I need you to back off."

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "If you're not the leak, then why do you want me to back off?"

She pushed her hair back over her shoulder, looking very young in that moment. "Do you not realize this could ruin my auror career? My stepmother, although they've never found enough evidence to convict her, has been the suspect in the deaths of six of her husbands."

"Then why have you maintained contact with her over the years?" he frowned again. "You have to realize how this looks. You were associating with a murder suspect, who was married to a known Death Eater."

"To protect Blaise and Thorne," she answered simply. "They weren't responsible for anything their mother did. And now Thorne is the only family I have left. And I do know how it looks. That's why I tried so hard to hide my connection to them."

"Why were Blaise and Thorne living with you rather than their mother?" he leaned back, studying her.

"Because her eighth husband really didn't like kids. And by the time he died of old age, and she married number nine, who had probably been waiting in the wings, the boys were wanting to distance themselves from her as well." she met his eyes evenly, no hints of body language that would give away deception.

"Where does Tracey Davis fit into things?"

She did look a little nervous at the mention of that name. "Blaise loved her. But her father was active in Voldemort's side. Lettie ingrained into those boys not to let their feelings on the war be known, that it was in their best interest to remain neutral, so he couldn't openly date the daughter of a Death Eater. Not to mention he was afraid of what it would do to my career if everything ever came out." the guarded look in her eyes gave way to sadness. "They were going to run off after the war. Change their names, go somewhere that people didn't know what Death Eaters were. But they never got the chance."

Draco narrowed his eyes at her. "Where is Tracey now?"

Jessamy shook her head. "She's safe. Just let her be, let her grieve. She's severed all ties with her family."

Luna came into the room. "Oh, hello. I heard that we had company and I came to see who was calling. I'm Luna Malfoy." she introduced herself pleasantly.

The other woman shook the hand with a smile on her lips that didn't reach her eyes. "Jessamy Nolan. I'm one of the aurors. It's nice to finally meet you.'

She turned to Draco, holding out her hand for her wand. "I should be going now. But please, Malfoy. Let it go."

He handed her wand back. "It won't be up to me." he told her.

"If it's not, please at least don't stop looking elsewhere." she said, stepping into the floo.

She was gone before he answered.

Draco turned to Luna, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly.

"Draco, are you wearing the bottlecap necklace?" Luna scrunched her nose at him.

He smiled at her, then led her upstairs where he showed her for the next hour how much he loved her.

Because something in the words Jessamy Nolan said reminded him of just how short life was and how fast things could be taken away.


	52. Hide and Seek

A week later, on Thursday morning an owl came from Shacklebolt

_Draco, _

_Can we meet this evening or tomorrow? I have some interesting news_

_K.L.S._

Draco immediately sent a message back, asking if after class was acceptable. He then wrote a second owl, telling his parents he was sending Luna to the Manor for a while this evening.

Once again, he found the Minister in his office long after the rest of the staff had gone home.

"We found Tracey Davis," Shacklebolt announced without preamble. "She's living in a villa Blaise's mother owns on the coast of southern Italy under the name of Tessa Blaine." He paused momentarily to make sure he had Draco's attention. "She's about 7 months pregnant. She's been treated at the muggle hospital nearby. Told them that her husband was killed in an accident."

"Well, this just keeps getting more interesting." Draco rolled his eyes.

Shacklebolt sighed. "It gets better. Davis' parents had negotiated a match for her. When school got out, she was supposed to move to her new in-law's home, and this summer she was supposed to marry Theo Nott Jr."

Draco shook his head. "So now we have the Nolan/Zabini family's reason for protecting her and giving her money, a reason for her to hide from the Nott family, and a direct connection to Theo Nott Senior. How much more twisted can it get?"

"Yeah, it leaves us a lot of possibilities," Shacklebolt pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nolan could be the leak, Davis could be on the potential victim list, or anything in between."

"So where do we go from here?" Draco asked, leaning back in his chair.

"My inclination is to leave her where she is, keep an eye on both her and Nolan, and see what happens. I'm going to keep this top secret, because if she is hiding from Nott..."

"I'm sure she's hiding from Nott," Draco grimaced and shook his head.

"But is Nolan hiding Davis from Nott, is Nolan working with Nott, or is she willingly or unwillingly passing information to Nott in exchange for Davis' safety?" Shacklebolt spread his hands. "Any or all of them are possibilities."

Draco bit his lip for a moment. "The whole situation is just...messed up. We know that Nott wasn't Theo's biological father, and he obviously has an issue with my father about that." He sighed. "But I spent time with them. I saw them interact, and I'm telling you, that on some level, Nott did love Theo. He was actually a decent parent, not a great one maybe, not doting or overprotective, but not abusive or neglectful. Theo was crazy about that girl. Nott had to have known it, and it was probably a big factor in the arranged marriage between them. I'm positive that he would have seen Tracey getting pregnant by Blaise while betrothed to Theo as a betrayal, and he would have wanted retribution on Theo's behalf. Whatever the situation was six months ago, if Nott knows Tracey is pregnant with another man's child, she's in danger."

"All the more reason to keep all of this between the two of us," Shacklebolt tilted his head at Draco with a pointed look.

"Let me go talk to Nolan," Draco suggested. "She took a big chance coming to my house last week, and she really seemed sincere in wanting me to believe her."

"Or maybe she's trying to pull you into whatever is really going on," Shacklebolt rolled his eyes. "She's an auror with known ties to a multiple time murder suspect. Do not take everything she says at face value."

"I'm just not feeling it, that she's the enemy here," Draco insisted.

"I don't care what you're feeling." Shacklebolt dropped the file he was holding on the desk with a little more force than necessary. "The fact is, we have a leak in this department, and she's our number one suspect in that area. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Don't go poking your nose into things. I appreciate what you have done and will do for this investigation, but _do not_ put yourself, your family, and this investigation in danger over loyalty to a dead man."

There was a warning in the old auror's eyes.

* * *

><p>Before leaving the ministry building, Draco slipped upstairs to the second floor. He scrawled a note on a parchment, tapped it with his wand, and slipped it into the top center drawer of a desk.<p> 


	53. Plots and Memories

Jessamy Nolan appeared in the floo promptly at seven the following evening. Once again, she offered Draco her wand.

He waved at her dismissively. "Keep it. I'm not concerned that you would come here on my invitation to do me any harm." he said, gesturing toward the love seat.

She sat, and he sat across from her.

"So why am I here?" she asked.

"The aurors have found Tracey," he answered.

Her face registered mild surprise, but she didn't say anything.

"They know she's pregnant," he continued. "If the aurors can find her, Nott will find her. I'm just letting you know. Shacklebolt's not going to tell you. He considers you a suspect." He poured himself a firewhiskey and tilted the bottle toward her in offer. She shook her head no. "If you need to move her, or want to get her closer to home as her time gets closer, my familt has several properties we never use."

She stared at him for a moment. "Why are you doing this? What's in it for you?"

"Because if I wasn't here, I would want Blaise to watch out for my kid." he shrugged.

* * *

><p>The next two weeks passed uneventfully. Shacklebolt met with Draco twice to report that there really wasn't anything to report. The Aurors had tracked Nott to a location near Surrey, but he was long gone by the time they got there. Otherwise, he had been quiet. Tracey was keeping her medical appointments, but not associating with anyone else. There wasn't much progress on finding the leak in the department.<p>

Friday, November 20 marked the day that Narcissa had been counting down. Shacklebolt had convinced the Wizengamot to factor the month before trial that she had been incarcerated into her sentence, so she was being released from house arrest.

She had asked Draco to bring Luna to the house after the last class. She wanted him to accompany her on an errand. He wasn't surprised that she wanted to go to Diagon Alley. He was surprised however, when she only wanted to pick up five bouquets of flowers at the florist.

They walked outside, stepping into an alley. She took his arm, and apparated them both away.

They wound up on the hill behind the Manor, at the entrance of the small fenced graveyard. She rolled her eyes and gestured for him to open the gate.

"I thought I had raised you to be a gentleman." she shook her head. "This was outside the boundary for the house arrest, so I haven't been able to come here."

She laid a bundle of flowers in front of each of the three small headstones together at the center. That was expected. But then she wandered over toward the back corner, farthest from the gate. Two new stones rested there, ones Draco had never seen before.

_Bellatrix Black Lestrange_  
><em>1951-1998<em>

Narcissa laid one of the two remaining bouquets on the grave. She wiped away dirt from the headstone. "Oh, Bella," she whispered.

She looked up at her son, who looked at her in horror.

"Draco, she wasn't always a Death Eater. At one time, she was the big sister who read me stories and sneaked biscuits out of the kitchen for us. She was a good sister and I loved her."

She walked over to the other stone.

_Rabastan Lestrange_  
><em>1954-1998<em>

"I wish you could have known him when we were at school. He was so full of life, so brilliant with such a wicked sense of humor." she said sadly. "The Dark Lord changed them all."

She laid the last of the flowers at the grave of her brother in law, and then stood.

"Mother," he began, not meeting her eyes. "If Theo wasn't dead, would you hate him?"

She laid her hand on his arm. "No, dear. I was always fond of him, out of your friends. He was a sweet and engaging child. There was also a part of me that connected with him, the child who lost his mother and the mother who lost children. That's why I always made sure we had his favorite sweets when he came." She looked over toward her children's graves. "If he had survived, and we had learned the truth, I certainly would have been upset with your father. But I would have never have held the situation against him."

"I want to bring him home." Draco said softly. "He was a Malfoy. I want him to be here. Not with _that man's_ family."

His mother nodded. "I think that would be best."

Narcissa shook herself, physically and mentally. She turned to Draco.

"Now, we have a nursery to decorate."


	54. Public Problem Pansy

Narcissa had sneaked in a quick trip to Draco's house to take a peak at the room that would be the nursery before they returned to the Manor. She insisted that Draco and Luna spend the night so they could get an early start in the morning. Draco protested that his six and a half months pregnant wife had no business being dragged all over Diagon Alley and Muggle London the following day, but Narcissa bluntly informed him that walking was good for her but they would stop to rest when necessary.

After breakfast with Luna, the trio set off. Draco honestly had no idea that there were so many things baby needed, much less that there was such a selection of things available to chose from.

Their second rest stop of the day was at Fortesceu's. Draco had just returned to the table with his ice cream, Luna's apple juice, and his mother's tea. He caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of a dark haired banshee storming across the room.

"Drake!" she shouted.

"What, Parkinson?" he asked in irritation.

"It's so good to see you and your mother out and about," she smiled sweetly. "And that you're still continuing this farce of playing the happy husband to poor Loony."

Draco growled through clenched teeth. "Just go away."

"But Drake," she smirked. "Surely everyone in Diagon Alley understands how it is. As a pureblood, you can't let your child be born out of wedlock. But there's no reason to pretend you're planning happily ever after with her."

Narcissa rose to her feet and folded her arms. "Miss Parkinson, you are very much out of line. I suggest you leave this establishment immediately before you embarrass yourself further."

"I'm an embarrassment?" Pansy shrieked. "And she's not?"

Draco nonverbally silenced her. Pansy continued screaming silently for several minutes, pointing at Draco and Luna, waving her hands, and even stomping her foot. Finally she threw the table over in frustration, resulting in a deafening crash that had everyone turning to look just as she was hit by two stunning spells and one levicorpus. Draco crossed the room to floo call the aurors, but apparently they had already been alerted, because Robards and Berryhill stormed through the door before he could connect.

They called for a female auror to transport Pansy to St Mungos to be checked over. Luna informed Draco she did not need to go be checked before he could ask.

Shacklebolt arrived just as Clayton left with Pansy.

Pulling Draco aside, he asked "You know what this means, right?"

Draco nodded grimly. "Pansy just made herself Target Number One."


	55. Leaks, Sneaks, and Mask Tweaks

When Draco and Luna got home from school Tuesday evening, Narcissa was ready to reveal the nursery. They had to admit, she had outdone herself. The room was gorgeous, mostly Slytherin green with touches of deep blue, decorated in a quidditch theme.

"It's fantastic," Draco told his mother.

"It's very nice," Luna said. "But what if he doesn't like quidditch?"

Narcissa wasn't bothered by the question at all. "We'll just strip it down and redo it in whatever he does like."

Draco looked at the baby bump. "Oh please, like quidditch."

* * *

><p>Shacklebolt stopped by later that evening. Luna excused herself to do homework while they met in the study.<p>

"So how's it going with Pansy in protective custody?" Draco asked.

Shacklebolt rolled his eyes. "I'm more worried about one of the aurors killing her than Nott."

Draco smirked. "Yes, she seems to have that effect on people."

"We have her in a safehouse, of course." Shacklebolt said. "Not one that we've ever used before, so none of the other aurors know about it. Robards, Berryhill and I are the only ones who know the location, and it's under the fidelus charm. They're taking turns spending 24 hour shifts with her. That seems to be about the longest anyone can stand being with her." he looked over at Draco with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "I don't suppose you want to babysit her this weekend?"

Draco just looked at him and didn't even dignify that with an answer.

Shacklbolt chuckled. "Well in that case, if you're not busy, I'm going to recruit you to help me with working on trying to locate Nott."

"Let me know when and where," Draco nodded.

* * *

><p>Saturday morning found Draco and Shacklebolt in the minister's office with lists of property records, looking for possible locations to search for Nott.<p>

A ball of light flew into the room suddenly, startling Draco who jumped up, knocking his chair backwards. The ball of light took the shape of an animal. A fox. It spoke to Shacklebolt.

"Wards are falling!"

Shacklebolt lept to his own feet. "Berryhill!"

By that time the light had faded and disappeared. The Minister snatched his wand from the desk and fired two balls of light from the tip. Draco had already rounded the desk, drawn his own wand, and taken the man's arm in preparation for sidealong apparation.

They landed in a forest. Moments later there was another apparation crack, and Robards stood beside them.

"The wards are gone," Shacklebolt said softly.

"Nott?" Robards and Draco both asked.

"No," Shacklebolt shook his head and looked around cautiously. He held up his wrist, showing what appeared to be a muggle watch. "I put an alarm on the property. It would have gone off in the presence of Nott's magical signature. No one knew that but me."

The two aurors walked toward a small clearing where Draco assumed the house must be, and he followed behind them. Shacklebolt had Robards and Draco keep their wands raised while he cast a homenum revelio on the cottage.

The spell showed two figures in the house, both apparently on the floor. He flung a spell at Draco to make him a secret keeper on the property so that he could see the house. The door hung crookedly on the hinges. All three carefully crossed the front porch and went inside.

The sitting room showed signs of a struggle, with furniture upended and broken and holes blasted in the walls.

Ben Berryhill lay in a puddle of blood in the middle of the floor. He weakly raised his wand when he heard their approach, but dropped it when he recognized the arrivals, his blue eyes rolling backwards. Robards immediately was kneeling next to his partner, ripping open the injured man's shirt.

Shacklebolt crossed the room to where Pansy lay against the wall. Draco could tell from where he stood that she was beyond help.

"Malfoy!" Robard's sharp exclamation rattled Draco out of his trance. "This looks like a curse!"

Draco stepped closer to look, and shuddered involuntarily. "Yeah. Sectum sempra."

He knelt next to Berryhill and began closing the wounds with the countercurse. There were several apparation cracks in succession outside. Shacklebolt stepped over to the door.

"You three set up a perimeter. Nothing in, nothing out!" he shouted.

"Right away sir!" Harry's voice affirmed.

Shacklebolt came back to hover over Draco and Berryhill.

"Pansy's dead." Draco said dully, not looking up.

"Yeah." Shacklebolt nodded, not that Draco could see the motion. "How's Berryhill?"

"I closed the wounds," Draco answered, rising stiffly. "but he's lost a lot of blood. He needs to go to St Mungo's."

"Robards, can you take him?" Shacklebolt asked without waiting for a response. "I'm going to revoke the fidelus charm, get some more of the team here to work the scene. No point in keeping it a secret now." He stalked out the door, shouting "Longbottom!" as soon as he was outside.

Draco helped Robards lift Berryhill to his feet and draped his arm across the older man's neck. He stepped back to allow them to apparate out.

Nothing happened.

"Boss!" Robards shouted. "I need to get out!"

A moment later Neville's voice called back "Try it now!"

Robards and Berryhill disappeared with a crack.

Draco walked over to the corner and knelt beside the body that remained. "Pansy..." he sighed.

"Avada." a deep voice behind him said. "Clean and fast."

"She was too young," Draco shook his head. "For the last two years, she was continually getting on my nerves and was a mind boggling pain in the ass, but we had been together so much of our lives. It's just... unbelievable to imagine her gone."

Shacklebolt held out his hand to help Draco to his feet.

"You're contaminating my crime scene." the old auror informed him, although without any real annoyance. "Besides, more aurors are outside now. We're going to let them process everything. I'm heading over to St Mungo's to talk to Berryhill. You want to come along?"

Draco nodded. The two walked out of the little cottage, across the wooded yard, and out to where Harry stood. He nodded at Draco, then held his wand in the air away from the house, opening a passage in the barrier for them.

The two apparated to St Mungo's. Robards, covered in blood himself, sat in the corner of the waiting room facing the door.

"Any word?" Shacklebolt asked.

"Not yet," Robards shook his head. "He was kind of out of it from the blood loss, but he was still conscious. I think that's a good sign."

Draco and Shacklebolt sat down, no one saying anything. Ten or so minutes later, two voices spoke almost at once.

"This doesn't make sense..." Draco began at the same time Robards said "Something is just wrong with this.."

Shacklebolt snorted a laugh. "Tell me why you think that. But one at a time."

The other two looked at one another. Draco gestured for Berryhill to go first.

"Okay, so Nott gets in somehow. He's not one to leave witnesses. So why didn't he kill Berryhill? And if he, for some reason that I can't begin to imagine, decides that he's not in the mood to kill an auror today, he just wants the girl, why bother with a nasty, bloody curse? Why not just stupefy him?"

Draco nodded. "That's pretty much along the same lines of what I was thinking."

Shacklebolt looked from one to the other again. "That's also what I'm thinking. It's good to know none of us is crazy."

A healer came into the room. "Auror Berryhill is stable. He lost a lot of blood, but we're treating him with Blood Replenishing Potion and dittany to help with the scarring from the wounds. There were no major organs severed, so he will just need some rest and strengthening. You can see him for a few minutes, but then I want him to rest. We'll keep him over night and then see how he's doing from there. But I'm betting that I will recommend that he take at least two weeks off before he returns to his regular duties."

The three thanked the healer, then followed him down the hall. Draco was getting way too familiar with the layout of this place.

Berryhill lay in the bed, pale but much better than he had been an hour ago. Someone had washed him up, leaving his short hair damp and sticking up at odd angles, making him look younger than his actual age.

He gave a weak, wry smile when they entered the room. "Guess I screwed up, huh?"

'Tell us what happened," Shacklebolt said gently.

"We were in the kitchen," Berryhill sighed. "I was looking for something for lunch. Parkinson demanded that I fix something for her too, but everything I suggested, she didn't want. I was distracted with arguing with her and didn't notice anyone outside until I heard the cracks in the wards. I sent the patronus to you. I disillusioned her and told her to hide, but she cancelled the spell and argued with me about telling her what to do. I went into the sitting room, and a Death Eater in cloak and mask blew the door open. He wasn't...I don't think it was Nott. He didn't seem big enough, and it wasn't Nott's mask. He and I threw a few spells back and forth before I was hit. By then Parkinson was in the room screaming at me that I could do better than that and screaming at the perp that she was on his side, that her brother had been a Death Eater who died at Voldemort's side at Hogwarts. He killed her. I waited for him to come finish me off, but he just left."

"You were under a fidelus charm, and heavily warded." Shacklebolt looked at his auror pointedly. "How did anyone find you?"

Berryhill shrugged. "I've been trying to figure that out. The only thing I can think of, is that after breakfast, she wanted to go outside alone for a few minutes. I let her, which I probably shouldn't have done, but I really needed a few minutes of peace and quiet." Robards snorted and Draco roled his eyes, both understanding exactly what the man meant. "I told her not to go outside the wards, of course, and I looked out a few times to make sure she was ok. I could have sworn she was using a cell phone. She had her hand up next to her face, and I thought I heard her talking to someone. I asked her when she came in, but she denied ever having had a cell phone in her life, and I couldn't find an actual phone on her."

"What is a cell phone?" Draco frowned.

"It's a muggle communication device. It fits in your pocket, and allows you to make calls like the floo network." Shacklebolt explained.

"Why don't we have those?" Draco asked.

"I don't know why you don't," Shacklebolt pulled a black rectangle out of his pocket and waved it at Draco. "I love mine."

"We have to talk about this later." the wheels in Draco's head were turning with all the possible uses for such a thing.

The Minister turned back to the man in the bed. "You say it wasn't Nott's mask. Does that mean you got a good look at it?" Berryhill nodded. Shacklebolt produced a picture of Nott in his mask and cloak and handed it over. "Show me." he said.

Berryhill plucked his wand from the bedside tray table. He tapped the picture, narrowed his eyes at it, and tapped again. After several apparent adjustments, he handed it over to Shacklebolt.

"I don't know this one either." the senior auror frowned, handing it to Draco. "Do you know who this is?"

Draco's eyes went wide. "You're sure this is the exact mask he was wearing?"

Berryhill looked at him like the answer should have been obvious. "Yes."

"It's not possible." Draco hissed.


	56. Missing Evidence

"Whose mask is it, Draco?" Shacklebolt asked as the younger man stared at the picture.

"Mine." was the barely audible reply.

"You're joking!" Robards sputtered.

Draco shook his head. "I had never worn it outside meetings. But that was my mask."

"Where was it?" Shacklebolt asked.

"In the cloak room at the Manor." Draco finally looked up at him. "Several others kept their cloaks and masks in there as well. They were all gone when I got home from Azkaban, so I figured either they had been seized or my parents had destroyed them."

Shacklebolt nodded. "There were several sets seized from the Manor. They were taken to the property room at the Ministry. Let's head over and see if they have the real thing or a replica."

He and Draco bid farewells to Berryhill and Robards, who was going to stay with his partner for the time being until the other aurors finished the scene and a proper security detail could be established.

They flooed to the Ministry, and went directly to the Auror office on the second floor. The main door opened automatically, recognizing Shacklebolt. Without a word, the Minister stalked between the desks to a second door at the back of the main room. He cast a spell to open the second door, which led to the hallway where the interrogation room and higher ranking auror offices were located. At the of the hall was a small room with a row of shelves and another door. He crossed to the shelves, selecting the last book on the second shelf. He laid the book open on the small table and flipped through until he found the entries on the items seized from the Manor during the search in May.

"One day, I'm going to computerize all this crap." he muttered before summoning a blank parchment and copying the text from the book onto it.

He walked to the door next to the shelves and pointed his wand at the knob, murmuring the incantation. The door opened to a room full of rows of shelves stacked with boxes. They walked halfway down the long room to the row indicated on the paper, then searched the boxes to find the ones with the indicated on the manifest. Draco pulled the first box from the shelf while Shacklebolt spelled one of the shelves to extend into a makeshift table.

"There were six sets seized.'' Shacklebolt read from the parchment. "There are only four here."

Draco examined each of the remaining masks, biting his lip. Seeing them definitely brought some mixed emotions.

"Mine and Theo's are gone," he said softly.

He gently replaced the evidence in the box, and Shacklebolt waved his wand to return it to the shelf.

"What about the ones seized at Hogwarts after the last battle?" Draco asked.

"Good thought," Shacklebolt commented, returning to the book to copy the locations for those evidence boxes. It took almost an hour to sort through those, as there was an astounding number of items confiscated after the battle, but in the end, two more sets were missing. The masks and cloaks of Geoffrey Goyle and Rabastan Lestrange.

"This is insane." Draco shook his head. "A real Death Eater would have gone without rather than wearing someone else's cloak and mask. It was ingrained into us that each mask was unique."

"What if someone wanted to use these to inspire whoever is still out there to reunite, reform the Death Eaters?" Shacklebolt suggested, returning the boxes to the shelves.

"That makes sense for the others, but not Theo. I don't think he ever even put his on but once. His heart definitely wasn't in it." Draco followed the Minister out of the property room.

"So next question," Draco began as the older man sealed the door behind them. "How did someone get in there?"

"Yeah," Shacklebolt folded his arms and stared at the door. "First they would have to get into the auror back offices. Then they would have to open this door, which was locked with a spell that was invented by an auror and never released to the public. It would take an auror or a cursebreaker to open it. On top of that, they would have to know how our evidence is catalogued, or spend a ridiculously long time looking through boxes looking for what they wanted."

"So it was an inside job," Draco concluded.

"Most likely." Shacklebolt agreed. "There's the outside chance that one of the aurors could have been imperiused or something like that."

"I don't suppose there's any chance there was some type of security to record whose magical signatures accessed the room?" Draco studied the door.

"Of course not," Shacklebolt rolled his eyes. "We've never had evidence stolen before, so we didn't apply any security like that. Besides, we have no idea when these things were taken. It could have been last night, or it could have been months ago."

They left the Auror office. Draco wanted to slam the door in frustration.

* * *

><p>The Aurors came up with very little at the crime scene. There were traces of a magical signature, but it was not one that they had any record of, which meant that it was not a known Death Eater. They had no idea how the wards were brought down. They had no idea how the killer had found the safe house. They had no idea whether the crime actually had anything to do with Nott, or if it was someone else on the frighteningly long list of Pansy's enemies. They found no trace of a cell phone, although they did establish that there was excellent cellular signal outside the cottage.<p>

Draco thought he was frustrated before. Now, well, he was irritated enough to breathe fire.

Sunday morning he and Luna had breakfast with his parents.

"I'm going to be going over to St. Mungo's after while." he announced. "I wanted to speak to Berryhill before he's released. Shacklebolt said last night that after the shock had worn off, he was taking it pretty hard about Pansy being killed on his watch. He's on medical leave for at least two weeks, so I was going to offer him a holiday at one of our properties, maybe the Mikonos villa or the Costa Rica hacienda."

Lucius looked at Narcissa, who nodded. "Either is fine with me. Just let me know which he chooses and I can arrange for either one to be ready tomorrow. He might want to go to the Swiss chalet. Or if wants privacy, there's the island in the Florida Keys."

"You own an island?" Luna asked.

"Doesn't everyone?" Lucius frowned, then smiled and winked at her to show he was joking.

"So does that mean you're leaving Luna here today?" Narcissa sipped her tea.

"No, I thought I would go along with Draco. It would be a good idea for me to check in again with Healer Alderbourne, and then there were a few things I wanted to pick up in Diagon Alley." Luna smiled sweetly and reached for Draco's hand.

"There's nothing wrong, is there?" Narcissa's brow creased with concern.

"Oh no, nothing like that." Luna waved her hand. "Madam Pomfrey does a wonderful job checking on me at Hogwarts, but of course they're not exactly equipped for maternity patients there, and neither is it her field of expertise. So it's probably a good idea to be checked at St Mungo's from time to time, to make sure the baby isn't getting too big or what have you."

"He definitely kicks well," Draco looked at her belly with amusement. "He woke me up twice last night."

"Be sure to let us know right away if the healer finds anything of concern." Lucius insisted.

"We will, but I'm sure everything is fine." Luna looked at Draco pointedly, waiting for him to excuse the two of them.

They walked upstairs to get their cloaks and Luna's purse. Draco shut the door, silence it, and turned to face his wife. "Since when do you vounteer to go to the healer?"

"Since your mother decided she wanted to go Christmas shopping." she rolled her eyes at him.

"Christmas shopping is good," he shrugged.

"She wants to go to New York for the day." Luna informed him, walking past toward the door. "Honestly, Draco, sometimes you can be as thick as a bumblespurt's toenail."

* * *

><p>Shacklebolt was, of course, at the hospital when they arrived. The man obviously did not sleep. Ever.<p>

Berryhill was up in a chair, waiting impatiently for his discharge paperwork to be processed. Harry and Neville were there, having covered the security detail.

"Malfoy, man, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday." Berryhill hung his head when they walked into the room. "I can't believe I was so careless. I just ... that poor girl..."

Draco clapped him on the shoulder. "It could have happened to anyone. Pansy distracted you by arguing with you. She was extremely talented at arguing, and just didn't know when to let go."

"But this was the first time anyone has ever gotten the drop on me. And someone ended up dead." Berryhill sighed.

"Look, since you're having to take some time off anyway, do you want to get away? My family has several holiday properties. Why don't you go stay at one of them for a week or so?" Draco offered.

"Are you serious?" Berryhill's eyebrows shot upward.

"Absolutely," Draco replied. "Do you want to go someplace warm or cold?"

"Warm would be nice," Berryhill replied, still grinning like he didn't believe the offer.

"We've got a beach house in Costa Rica, or one on a private island in the Florida Keys. Then of course we have three in the Mediterranean, but they wouldn't be as warm as the other two right now." Draco shrugged.

"A private island? As in, no one else there?" the grin got even bigger.

"Well, it's a small island, not quite as big as the property Malfoy Manor is on, but no, it's the only house on the island." Draco smiled. "I can have it ready tomorrow."

"Could I bring my girlfriend?" Berryhill looked like a kid at Christmas.

"Of course," Draco shook his hand. "I'll owl you later with all the details."

"I didn't know you had a girlfriend," Neville teased.

"I didn't either," Shacklebolt smirked at Berryhill.

"Don't tell me that, sir." Harry joked. "I still think you know everything."

Berryhill shrugged. "We haven't been together very long." He broke out into a grin again. "But a holiday on a private island?"

Draco shook his head, bidding them a good day and leading Luna out into the hall.

She smiled up at him. "I think you made him very happy." She linked her arm through his and led him toward the lift. "But I wonder why he lied when he said he and his girlfriend hadn't been together very long."

Draco stopped. "What do you mean, he lied?"

"I heard it in his thoughts." Luna shrugged.

"Maybe he was just embarassed that he had never mentioned her before." Draco suggested.

"Perhaps." Luna said, looking off down the hall.


	57. Craving Candy and Confronting Cretins

As expected, the healer gave Luna and baby a clean bill of health, announcing that they were on track for the due date around the first of February.

Monday marked the the beginning of the next to last week of school, and the Hogwarts student body developed an epidemic of Holiday Syndrome. Draco was soon back to being the teacher who gave an alarming number of detentions. Honestly, however, he found he was looking forward to the break as much as his students.

At lunch on Tuesday, Luna came meet him at the classroom to walk to lunch.

"I don't suppose you have any of those chocolate covered orange slices from Honeydukes, do you?" she asked with a sly smile.

"Noooo," he answered, looking at her curiously. "Why?"

"I'm having a craving," she shrugged.

He took her by the Headmaster's office, where McGonagall obligingly checked the remainder of Dumbledore's stash for her. There was quite a bit of candy, but no chocolate covered orange slices.

When classes were done for the day, Luna was outside his classroom again.

"Could we go by Honeydukes on the way home?" she suggested mischievously.

Draco shook his head. Normally she craved asparagus, which the house elves had stockpiled at both their house and Malfoy Manor. "Why don't you go to the house, make sure dinner is ready, and I'll go by Honeydukes."

"Make sure you get plenty," she informed him solemnly.

Draco flooed to the sweet shop, and bought all the chocolate orange slices they had in stock.

"I thought you liked the truffles." the clerk frowned at him.

"Pregnant wife." Draco said, and the woman nodded in understanding.

He turned back to the floo but a couple with several children stood there, trying to convince a small child in the midst of a temper tantrum to go home. Realizing this could take a while, he decided to walk outside and apparate home instead.

He waved once more to the clerk, who called out that she would have more orange slices tomorrow if he needed them. He walked out the front door, across the sidewalk, and stepped out into the cobblestone street.

A shadow fell across his path. He looked up into the mask of Theo Nott Sr.

He was immobilized before he could draw his wand.

Nott flipped his mask off and smiled. "Good evening, Draco. Bit of a sweet tooth tonight?"

Draco focused on trying to throw off the hex, knowing that Nott knew he couldn't answer anyway.

"Whatever gave you the idea I was working alone?" he taunted. "You couldn't hide Pansy, the miserable little bitch. I don't see why you even bothered. Even for a pureblood, she was less than useless. But you and the Aurors won't be able to hide that little whore who was supposed to be my daughter in law much longer. And you won't be able to hide your wife when I decide to come for her. "

Draco could feel the rage building within him, and channeled his rage into his magic as Snape had taught him. His godfather had been the only one of the Death Eaters to understand that emotion could make you more powerful, rather than weaker.

"You! Death Eater! Who do you think you are, hassling my customers in the middle of the street?" the old woman from Honeydukes' stood on the sidewalk, wand extended and her other hand on her hip.

Draco broke free that moment, throwing a stupefy as soon as his fingers touched his wand. Nott was momentarily distracted by the clerk's intrusion, but recovered quickly enough to block the spell. He immediately sent back a curse, but Draco blocked the purple light.

"Get back inside!" Draco yelled to the clerk, not breaking eye contact with Nott.

They continued to duel, each throwing spells the other blocked or dodged, breaking long enough for both of them to dive behind posts.

"Reducto!" Draco aimed for the overhang of the roof over the sidewalk where Nott was crouched. The section caved in, trapping the Death Eater, but before Draco could cross the street, Nott disapparated from under the rubble.

"Fuck!" he punched the column in frustration. "Call the Aurors!" he shouted to the old woman, who still stood in the doorway of the shoppe.

He apparated home immediately, in case Nott headed there next.

Luna was glad he was all right. But she was even more glad that the chocolate covered orange slices were safe.

* * *

><p>Draco threw back a glass of firewhiskey, while poor Tabby stood wringing her hands and begging him to eat. A ball of light came through the window and formed into a lynx at Draco's feet.<p>

"Connect the floo for a minute. I need to talk to you." Shacklebolt's voice commanded.

Draco rolled his eyes but obediently pointed his wand at the fireplace. Almost instantly green flames appeared, with the Minister's face in their midst.

"Sorry," Draco said. "You weren't the one I was trying to keep out."

"I thought as much," Shacklebolt nodded. "If I send Longbottom and Potter over to stay with Luna, can you come back to Hogsmeade for a while to play show and tell?"

Luna nodded at him. "I'll be fine."

"Sure," Draco drawled.

Less than a minute later, the two Auror trainees stepped out of the fireplace.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," Neville joked.

Draco grinned in return. "If you know what's good for you, don't ask Luna to share her candy." He shook both their hands, kissed his wife, and stepped into the fireplace himself.

He arrived in Honeydukes to find the aurors questioning the clerk. He gave her a look he hoped conveyed apology and walked out the front door to meet Shacklebolt.

The Minister stood on the sidewalk in front of the shoppe, supervising the aurors who were taking measurements of the scene.

"You make a mess like this, and just apparate home," Shacklebolt shook his head with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"Well, if you'd catch Nott, I wouldn't get into so much trouble." Draco snorted.

The Minister waved one of the aurors over, and had her record the conversation while Draco explained what had happened.

"But how did he know where to find you?" Shacklebolt asked.

Draco shrugged. "No idea. I didn't even know I was coming here until minutes before."

"Berryhill is in the Keys now, right?" Shacklebolt sighed, looking at the collapsed section of roof.

"Yeah, left yesterday." Draco nodded.

"What time is it there?" Shacklebolt turned and walked back into Honeydukes.

Draco squinted, thinking. "About 5 or 6 hours ago. Early afternoon."

"Let's call him. I'm wondering if there's some way Nott can track you, and tracked either Pansy or one of my aurors." Shacklebolt gestured toward the fireplace.

The floo was disconnected on the other end.

"I don't like this." Shacklebolt said ominously.

"He could just want some privacy with his girlfriend." Draco suggested. "Or someone else could want some privacy while they do something to him."

Shacklebolt nodded. "How soon could someone get there?"

"There's a pub in Key West that has a private area for wizards. You could floo there, then apparate to the island." Draco told him.

"Except that I'm overseeing the crime scene here." Shacklebolt looked at him. "I hate to ask you this, but since you're the only one who knows the island..."

Draco nodded. "I'll go."

"Take Longbottom with you. I'll send Robards over to your house in his place." Shacklebolt looked around for the auror he had just mentioned. "Just go make sure he's all right. Tell him to floo me later or tomorrow, there are a few things I want to ask him."

Draco returned to the house with Robards, and informed Neville they were about to go on the shortest ever tropical vacation.


	58. Traitor

Draco and Neville flooed from Honeydukes to a little pub called the Magic Harbor in Key West. The bar made their living from muggle tourists, but had a private back room for wizards. They walked out the back door into an alley. Draco briefly explained the layout of the island, that it was a small island, a few palm trees around, but mostly open, with the house in the center, which could be seen from pretty much every point on the island. Neville took Draco's arm for sidealong apparation, as Neville of course had never been there before.

They landed near the house, on thick green grass under a palm tree. Draco cast a homenum revelio on the house. Empty.

"They're probably down on the beach." he informed Neville. They walked down toward the beach, and then parallel with the water once they reached the sand. It didn't take long before they spotted two figures on lounge chairs. Draco and Neville walked a little faster. Once they were closer, Neville shouted "Berryhill!" not wanting to startled him by walking up unannounced.

Berryhill sat up, looking around for the source of the noise, grabbing for his wand. He spotted the two men approaching, who waved in greeting.

Berryhill turned, pointing his wand over the center of the island, and cast a spell.

"Anti-apparation jinx?" Neville wondered aloud.

"Probably to make sure it's really us." Draco suggested, but he was starting to get a bad feeling about this.

The young woman beside the auror sat up, grabbing a towel to clutch to her chest. She and Draco locked eyes, recognizing each other with shock.

"Get out of here!" Draco hissed at Neville, just as Berryhill raised his wand and cast a green curse their way.

They both dove to the sand, as Berryhill rolled out of the lounge chair, flipping it onto its side to hide behind.

"What the fuck?" Neville roared. "Berryhill's trying to kill us because he thinks we saw his girlfriend topless?"

"No!" Draco dodged another curse. "He's trying to kill us because we saw him with Athena Goyle!"

They were sitting ducks, on the open beach with nothing for cover, while Berryhill was hurling spells over, under, and around the lounge chair.

"Tell me you don't mean she's one of the Death Eater Goyles!" Neville flung over his shoulder, trying to hold up a shield that was being battered by rapid curses now thrown from two wands.

"You want me to lie?" Draco snorted. "Greg's older sister. Geoffrey's daughter."

Draco took advantage of Neville's shield to send a stupefy at Berryhill. But apparently the other side was now using the same strategy, with Athena providing a shield while Ben shot spells at them.

"How do we contact Shacklebolt?" Neville asked focusing on the shield.

"Too far to send a patronus." Draco sent another spell, which sizzled harmlessly against Athena's shield. "If we try to reach the house, we're open targets. Then we have to reconnect the floo."

"We've got to fight our way out, then" Neville looked over at Draco. "Which isn't going so well."

"That, or we apparate out." Draco sent three curses in succession, but only managed to singe the corner of the chair.

"There are six anti-apparation jinxes!" Neville growled.

"Okay," Draco looked over at him while continuing to randomly hurl spells across the beach."Switch with me. I'll hold the shield, you alternate spells at them and trying to break the anti-apparation jinx."

"You realize what will happen if we're trying to apparate out and he puts up another jinx, right?" Neville didn't sound afraid. Just determined.

"Yes, but it's our only chance." Draco said. "Switch the shield on three. One, two, three!"

In a heartbeat, Neville stopped chanting the shield charm and Draco began. But their defenses were down long enough for a sectum sempra to get through. They scrambled to the sides as it passed between them, but it managed to graze Draco's arm, opening a long gash that spurted blood. Fortunately, it wasn't on his wand hand.

Draco had never dealt well with blood. Especially his own. He closed his eyes, focusing on breathing deeply and maintaining the shield.

"Fuck!" Neville growled, causing Draco to look at him. "It hit an artery."

Blood sprayed out of Draco's arm in time with the beat of his heart. This was not good.

"You've got to get the jinx down so we can get out of here!" Draco closed his eyes again.

Neville fired off several rapid curses at Berryhill and Athena, then fired an anti-apparation counter curse into the air.

Nothing.

Draco stuck his wand between his teeth, using his good hand to tug at his belt. Shield. Breathe. Calm. He pulled the belt from the loops, slid the end through the buckle, and shoved it over his wounded arm to make a tourniquet. As long as he held it tight, the pressure from the belt slowed the bleeding. But that meant he had to hold the end of the belt with either his hand or his teeth.

Shield.

Breathe.

Neville kept up the pattern, shooting curses at the opposition and counter curses at the sky.

"Nebille," Draco choked out around his wand, still in his mouth, fighting to keep the shield up as the edges of his vision were going dark.

Neville sneaked a quick glance, long enough to note that Draco was losing a lot of blood. He scooted over closer.

"Hang on." Neville growled. "Just a few seconds more."

Breaking the pattern, instead of firing curses at Berryhill, Neville pointed his wand skyward, shouting the remaining three anti-apparation counter curses at once. As soon as he felt the ward drop, he threw his arm across Draco's back and concentrated on that bar in Key West.

He barely heard Berryhill cast another anti-apparation jinx.

* * *

><p>AN - Ok, show of hands, who had honestly figured out that Berryhill was one of the bad guys?

My plot bunnies are multiplying like, um, bunnies again. I posted the beginning of a set of one shots (one of them is Druna). The link is on my profile, if you'd like to check it out. I also have two more book length Druna stories going. Anyone interested in giving some feedback before I post them?


	59. Destruction and Dehydration

A/N - Have I mentioned that I abso-freakin'-lutely _love_ Lucius Malfoy?

* * *

><p>Draco drifted toward consciousness, aware that his arm hurt and of the salty taste of blood replenishing potion.<p>

He found himself in a hospital room, his mother at his side. She jerked to attention the second she realized his eyes were open.

"Oh, baby," she fussed. "How do you feel? Are you in pain?"

He looked around, realizing only the two of them were in the room. "Where's Neville?" he asked. "Where's Luna? I'm thirsty." he tried to shake his head to clear it, but it only made things worse.

"Neville's in the next room," she soothed, handing him a glass of water. "You probably are thirsty. They had to give you quite a bit of blood replenishing potion."

"Is Neville all right?" he asked after downing the whole glass.

"He'll be fine." Narcissa assured. "He was splinched, cut his legs pretty badly. Fortunately he landed the two of you inside the pub instead of in the back alley, and there was a healer inside. The two of you were able to get medical attention immediately. Neville may even be up and around already. You nearly bled to death. They thought you were splinched as well at first, didn't realize that it was a curse on your arm."

Draco's feeling of foreboding was back. "Why isn't Luna here, then?"

"She's fine." his mother didn't meet his eyes. "She just couldn't make the transatlantic floo trip."

"Tell me!" Draco insisted, trying to sit up in the bed.

His mother placed her hand against his chest, firmly directing him back onto the bed. "It was a stressful night. She had a few pains. We took her to St Mungo's as a precaution. They said she's fine, the baby is fine, but they want her to stay in bed for at least 24 hours to make sure she doesn't go into early labor."

Draco sighed. "Was it over me or did Nott get to her?"

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Nott apparently didn't even try to go to the house. She was worried about you. But most of the uproar was your father. She was trying to calm him down."

"Where is he?" Draco had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer.

"He's in Azkaban for the moment." his mother sighed. "But Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley are fairly certain they can get him out within the next few days."

Draco groaned. "What did he do?"

Narcissa's expression reflected both aggravation and amusement. "When he heard that you were badly hurt, he wanted to come here. The Ministry allowed him to go to Hogwarts, but a foreign country, ... they weren't willing to take the chance." she shook her head. "He went to the Ministry trying to convince them to change their minds, in direct violation of his house arrest. When they didn't see things his way, he ... demolished ... the Wizengamot offices."

"I can see him doing that." Draco nodded. His father's legendary temper was the reason the rumors of the Malfoy family being part Veela just wouldn't go away.

Draco sat up then, despite his mother's efforts to push him back onto the bed. "I have to get home."

"Draco, you can't," he mother began, her voice getting louder with each word.

"I have to get home!" he repeated, trying to stand and falling onto the floor.

Narcissa turned toward the door, but before she could go for help, Shacklebolt strode into the room.

"I thought I heard a commotion in here." He shook his head before helping Draco back into the bed.

"How's Neville?" Draco ground out as he was sure the Minister was shoving him around with much more force than necessary.

"Much better than you, obviously." Shacklebolt folded his arms. "They're letting him go home this morning." He turned his attention to the lady in the room. "Narcissa, if you want to get yourself something to eat, I'll stay with Draco for a while."

"You're sure?" she asked, to which the older man nodded. "You'll make him stay in bed?"

"I know 38 ways to restrain him magically. And several muggle methods." Shacklebolt drawled.

Narcissa rolled her eyes, told Draco she would be back in a few, and left them alone.

"Did you get Berryhill?" Draco asked, certain if they had, someone would have already said so.

"No," Shacklebolt shook his head. "By the time word got to us that the two of you had been attacked and we got here, he and Athena Goyle were long gone. Of course, we didn't know who we were looking for, for several hours until we were able to get a statement from Longbottom." He accioed a chair from the far side of the room and sat down. "They reconnected the floo, and flooed to Salem. From there, they changed floos and left again. We haven't been able to trace them from there."

"So they could be anywhere." Draco grumbled.

"Yes," Shacklebolt agreed. "But we did learn that the unknown magical signature we found at the scene when Parkinson was killed matches the one on the island. So in other words, Goyle was the killer."

"Which means that most likely, Berryhill told her where they were, rather than Nott having some tracking method we don't know about." Draco mused. "Unfortunately, it all makes sense. She and Berryhill would have been at Hogwarts together. Nott and Geoffrey Goyle were always tight. And Athena was always a daddy's girl."

"It still doesn't explain how Nott knew where to find you in Hogsmeade." Shacklebolt pointed out.

"I live in Hogsmeade. Maybe he was just lurking around waiting for me to show up." Draco suggested.

"It's possible."

They both thought on that for a few minutes before Draco said "So how long am I stuck here?"

"If you were local, they may have let you go home tomorrow. But since we have to get you back across an ocean, they said probably an extra day or two to build your strength first. You know that if I had known..." Shacklebolt did look apologetic about it.

"Yeah, I know." Draco finished for him. "But I've got a pregnant wife in St Mungo's and apparently a father in Azkaban I need to get back and sort out."

"Luna's fine." Shacklebolt promised. "She's got the best healers in London attending to her. And your father is getting some cool down time. He'll be out in a few days. Arthur Weasley will make one of his gut wrenching speeches before the Wizengamot about a father's love for his children, I'll propose that your father have to pay for repairing whatever was destroyed and suggest that we replace it with something better, and he'll be off the hook. There was no real harm done, after all."

"Destroyed, huh?" Draco asked, grinning in spite of everything.

"From what I heard, it was a sight to behold." Neville said from the doorway. "Harry said he'd rather take on Voldemort again than your father in that state."

"Why do you think I threatened everyone with 'My father will hear about this' when we were in school?" Draco laughed.

There were no floos in the patient rooms at the Miami Wizarding Hospital, but Shacklebolt brought in his cell phone and arranged for Draco to be able to speak with Luna. Draco decided as soon as he got home, he needed one of those things.


	60. Going Rogue

Draco was released from the Miami Wizarding Hospital on Friday, on the condition that he check in with St Mungo's immediately upon returning to the UK , and take things easy through Monday.

His students were disappointed to learn that he had discovered fax machines and telephones during his time away, so their assignments and the following week's exams were still on.

Neville met him in Miami , announced he was never leaving the country with Draco again, and escorted him straight to St Mungo's. Luna, accompanied by Harry and Weasel met them there. A healer looked him over and gave him permission to go to the Manor. Within minutes after they arrived, Shacklebolt and Narcissa brought Lucius home.

"My boy," Lucius stalked over to where Draco stood with his arm around Luna, pulling both of them into his long arms. Narcissa almost ran over, throwing her arms around her husband and son.

The four Malfoys clung to one another for several minutes until Harry awkwardly cleared his throat and announced the others would just be going now.

* * *

><p>Luna and Draco spent the weekend mostly laying around being smothered by Narcissa. The first few days of the following week were consumed by exams and holiday assignments and students who were more than ready to get out of Hogwarts for the break. It was enough to make Draco hopeful that Nott would continue to behave until after the first of the year.<p>

Narcissa and Luna decorated both houses for the holidays. Luna would only agree to a small amount of mistletoe, and only if it was liberally sprinkled with lemon juice to repel the nargles. In compromise, Narcissa ended up with a cutting from the Lovegood's dirigible plum tree to grow in her greenhouse so that there would be plums to combat any remaining nargles in the spring.

The peace lasted until Thursday evening when Draco got home to find there was an auror waiting in his sitting room.

"She's in trouble!" Jessamy Nolan shouted before he could even step out of the fireplace.

"What?" Draco practically leapt into the room. "Where is she?"

Nolan clutched at his hand. "She had gone into town to get some groceries. She spotted Berryhill and Athena Goyle. She thinks she managed to hide and get back to the house before they saw her, and the house is unplottable, but if they're that close, we've got to get her away from there!"

Draco nodded. They both knew aurors had ways of finding unplottable locations. "Get her back here. I'll go over to my father's house and check our property records. My family owns things even we've forgotten about. Meet me back here in an hour."

He headed toward the fireplace, but then stopped and turned back to face her. "Have you told Shacklebolt yet that Berryhill has surfaced?"

She shook her head no. "I wanted to get Tracey somewhere safe first before the whole department descended on the place."

"Good plan," Draco nodded. "We'll stick with that."

He sent a quick patronus to Luna, asking her to stay in the Hogwarts library for another hour, and then flooed to the Manor.

He finished at the Manor sooner than he expected, so he stopped by Hogwarts to collect Luna before he returned to the house. She had gone upstairs by the time Nolan returned, with Tracey Davis in tow.

Tracey looked much like Draco remembered her, just very pregnant and very sad.

"Thank you for doing this," she murmured, not meeting his eyes.

"Blaise would have done the same for me," he replied huskily. "Or at least I like to think he would."

They transfigured each other to be unrecognizable, and then flooed to Diagon Alley. He gave each of them a slip of parchment with an address before they split up and took different floos to meet up again at an empty flat.

"What is this place?" Nolan asked.

"Malfoy Industries bought out an Indian based import-export company two years ago. The Indian company owned a condo in muggle London for their executives to stay in when they came here on business. It's been sitting empty ever since. I've never even been here before."

"Is it safe?" Tracey asked.

Draco shrugged. "It would be hard to trace back to me, with a couple corporate holdings in between. There's only a front door that has several neighbors, and a fire escape which faces a busy street, so it would be difficult to for someone to sneak in or out."

As he turned to leave, Nolan called after him. "Malfoy, wait."

Tracey had wandered off to explore the rest of the apartment, leaving the two of them alone.

Nolan suddenly went shy on him. "I heard that you are back in contact with your aunt, and Nymphadora Tonks' son." she began, looking at the floor.

"Yes..." he waited for her to continue.

She held out a photograph. "I just wanted him to have this."

Draco took the picture, which was of three young girls standing in the middle of Hogsmeade. One he didn't recognize at all. One was a young Nolan. And the other was his cousin, raging pink hair and all. He looked at her in surprise. "You knew my cousin?"

Nolan nodded. "She was my best friend in school. We went through auror training together."

"I'm sure Teddy will appreciate this when he's older." Draco smiled sadly, turning to the floo. He left the two of them to get Tracey settled in and Nolan to set up wards and headed home before the alarm was raised and Shacklebolt realized he wasn't home.

It didn't take long. Shacklebolt was waiting outside the classroom the next day at lunchtime.

"So," he began. "Ben Berryhill and Athena Goyle turned up in Italy yesterday. In the same town where Tracey Davis has been hiding out."

Draco tried to act sufficiently surprised. "Did you get them?"

Shacklebolt stared at him suspiciously. "No. They got away before the aurors got there. But the strange thing is, that two people took a public floo from the area to your house. And then five minutes later, three people flooed from your house to Diagon Alley. You want to explain that?"

"Not really." Draco met his gaze evenly.

"Draco," The Minister sighed. "Don't get lulled into a false sense of security. Nott has been toying with you. But Berryhill and Goyle have shown that they won't hesitate to kill you. That probably extends to Luna and your parents as well. If you want to be an auror, then leave the school and come join the aurors. If you're going to be a teacher, then leave the auror duties to the professionals. Don't get yourself over your head, and don't piss off dangerous people."

Draco nodded. "Point taken."

"You're not going to tell me anything else right now, are you?" Shacklebolt folded his arms.

"No." Draco folded his own arms.

Shacklebolt nodded and turned to the door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob. "If you're withholding evidence of a crime and I find out about it, I _will_ throw your ass back in Azkaban."

Draco snorted. "There's no crime. Just a woman and a baby that need protecting."

"Don't forget you have those at home, too." Shacklebolt shot back, and then he was gone.

* * *

><p>AN - We're winding down, less than 10 chapters left in the story. It's almost sad. :(


	61. A Very Malfoy Christmas

Warning: Super fluffy chapter ahead. But don't worry, the Death Eaters will be back soon.

* * *

><p>Narcissa notified rather than asked Draco and Luna to be at her house for dinner the day before Christmas Eve. She actually informed them to bring their suitcases because they were going to be staying for several days, but Draco put his foot down.<p>

"We're going to spend the night at our house Christmas Eve." He insisted.

"Why?" his mother demanded.

He rolled his eyes. "Because when we have kids, I want them to wake up on Christmas morning at our house."

She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't have kids yet."

"Then my wife and I are going to have one Christmas with the peace and quiet that we won't have when we have kids." He replied stubbornly.

The argument continued until Draco agreed that he and Luna would also come over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Narcissa was up to something.

They arrived at the Manor on the 23rd to find Neville and Hannah, Harry and Weaselette, and Weasel and Granger invited for dinner as well.

He pulled his mother aside and asked what was going on. Narcissa told him that since Neville, Harry, and Granger were responsible for the family being together for the holidays at the Manor rather than Azkaban, the least the Malfoys could do was to throw them a party.

They had dinner, and Lucius asked everyone to come to the green sitting room for after dinner drinks.

"Narcissa and I have gifts for all of you," he began.

"But we didn't get anything for you. Actually, you specifically told us not to." Granger interrupted.

"Yes, Miss Granger," Lucius smiled tightly. "Considering what the lot of you have done for our family this year, expecting more gifts from you would be completely inappropriate." He snapped his fingers, and Dimpy appeared with a wrapped box. "In fact, Miss Granger, the first gift is for you."

He waved for the house elf to hand her the box. She opened it to find several rare first edition books, both magic and muggle.

"These are amazing!" she gasped.

"Yes, I know." Lucius replied smugly. "Next, Ron and Ginny, these are for you." Dimpy and another elf apeared with two identically wrapped gifts.

Ginny got hers open first. "A new broom!"

"Bloody hell!" Ron shouted. "They're Firebolt IIs! These don't even come out until next spring!" He looked at Lucius in amazement.

"They don't become available to the public until next spring." Lucius smirked. "There are perks to being on a first name basis with the CEO of the company."

Narcissa produced a box from underneath her chair and handed it to Neville. He ripped off the paper and held up a cape.

"An old auror's cloak?" Ron asked. "But you'll get a new one when you finish trai..." he broke off as Hermione smacked him on the back of the head, hissing "Ronald!"

"Merlin," Neville's eyes went wide. "This was my father's cloak."

Lucius smiled. "After all this time, there was really no reason for the Ministry to hold it as evidence any more. I talked to the right people and got it released."

Harry unwrapped his package to find a scrapbook. He opened it, stunned to find pictures of his father playing quidditch, clippings of his mother's academic achievements, and various momentos from their Hogwarts days. He was so stunned he couldn't even speak.

"Where did you get all this?" Ginny asked for him.

"Some where in the Ministry's possession as evidence, and Lucius persuaded them to release the items. Some I tracked down through Hogwarts, people they went to school with, things Severus Snape, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin had in their possession." she shrugged. "Different sources. Minerva McGonagall was most helpful."

"Thank you." Harry breathed, tears in his eyes.

"Now Hannah," Lucius turned to her. "Your gift is a bit self serving on my part. You remember the last time you and Neville came to dinner, and we were talking about Tom at the Leaky Cauldron wanting to retire?" Hannah nodded uncertainly. "I said that I had half a mind to buy the place if I could find a competent manager, and you started telling me ideas for improving the place. Well, I bought it, and I want you to be the manager. I've also worked into the contract for you to buy me out in five years if you want."

Hannah flushed. "Mr. Malfoy, that's... I can't possibly accept..."

"Nonsense." Lucius gave her a look that made it clear he was not going to allow her to refuse. "You have a good head for business. As I said, the proposition serves me as well. And if you were to decide that running the Leaky Cauldron is not for you, I'll expect you to come to work for Malfoy Industries."

Hannah nodded, still staring into the box containing the contract and the keys to the pub.

"Draco, you don't get your gifts yet. Sorry." his mother smiled mischieviously. "And Luna has to wait for part of hers. But we do have one gift for her tonight." Narcissa walked out of the room.

"Perhaps it's an umbugular slashkilter," Luna suggested, her eyes sparkling.

"If it's a hippogriff, I'm leaving." Draco announced.

She returned a moment later. Xeno Lovegood followed her into the room.

"Daddy!" Luna ran to her father, throwing his arms around her neck. "You weren't supposed to be back until the end of January!"

Xeno smiled at Lucius before looking back at his daughter. "Your in laws persuaded me to come back for a few days, because families should be together for Christmas."

"_Now_ do you see why you were supposed to stay here for a few days?" Narcissa glared at her son.

"It's fine." Xeno waved his hand. "I'm sure they want some time alone before the baby gets here. Besides, I wasn't planning on being able to see her at all for several more weeks, so any time we have together now is a bonus."

Xeno told them how marvelously successful his scarlet winged waldilla expedition is going, and even showed them a picture. Draco wasn't sure whether those really were small birds flapping on a tree, or just red leaves fluttering in the breeze, but he managed to seeem appropriately impressed.


	62. A Slightly Death Eater Christmas

Draco offered to stay at the Manor so Luna could spend more time with her father, but she declined. She said she was content to spend time with her father during the days, but she would prefer to be home with Draco at night.

On Christmas Day, Shacklebolt came for lunch. Draco realized for the first time that he knew absolutely nothing personal about the man. He tried asking, but the Minister didn't volunteer much information other than the fact he had never been married and didn't have much family.

As the dishes were being cleared, Lucius stood and looked at their guest. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Whenever you are." Shacklebolt answered, standing as well.

They both put on their travelling cloaks. Lucius shook Draco and Xeno's hands, kissed Luna on the cheek, and kissed his wife on the lips, telling them he would see them later. Shacklebolt shook all their hands and thanked Narcissa for inviting him to lunch. With a final wave, they stepped into the fireplace and flooed to Shacklebolt's office.

"Luna dear," her father said. "If you'd like to come upstairs, I'll show you those notes about the waldillas."

Luna kissed Draco's cheek and took Xeno's arm, the two of them already talking about birds.

Narcissa still looked at the fireplace with a hint of concern on her face.

"Where was Father going?" Draco asked.

"Oh," Narcissa jumped to her feet. "He just had something he wanted to do today. Shacklebolt agreed to accompany him."

Draco rounded the table before she could escape. "Where were they going?" he asked again.

Narcissa smiled and patted his cheek. "You're nosy. Do you know that?"

She turned toward the door.

"I'm inquisitive. It's a Slytherin trait. I get it from my parents." He called at his mother's retreating back.

She laughed and kept walking.

Two hours later, Draco was reading in his father's study when all hell broke loose.

There were several apparation cracks in quick succession, followed by shouting. He jumped up and ran to the window, but apparently, they were on the other side of the house.

Of course.

He apparated outside, to a sheltered area of the gardens so he could see what was going on, hoepfully without being seen himself.

His father, Neville, Harry, and the Weasel were all running for the house. Shacklebolt was nowhere is sight.

This could not be good.

Draco apparated back into the house, meeting them just inside the side entrance.

"He was there!" Neville shouted.

"Who? Where?" Draco demanded.

"Nott! He was there!" Weasel yelled.

"Where?" Draco repeated.

"In the graveyard." Lucius said softly.

"You were in a graveyard?" Draco was bewildered.

"Theo." Harry murmured.

Draco recoiled as if he'd been punched. In fact, he felt as if he had.

"You went to Theo's grave and Nott was there?" Draco asked coldly.

Lucius looked at Draco strangely. "He was there when we arrived. A few spells were exchanged, but he apparated away. Shacklebolt is trying to gather evidence. He sent me here with the trainees in case Nott tried to come to the house."

"Fine." Draco snapped. "We'll protect the house." He turned and stomped from the room, nearly running over his mother and Xeno in the doorway.

"I told you he wouldn't take it well." Narcissa arched one eyebrow at her husband.

"But I didn't do.." Lucius huffed.

"I know you didn't do anything wrong." Narcissa walked over to take her husband's hand. "And deep down, so does Draco."

The three auror trainees checked the wards at all the entrances. Narcissa invited them to the small dining room for a snack. Ron and Harry turned to follow her, but Neville held back.

"I'm going to find Draco." he told them.

Draco was in the room above the kitchen, the same place he had always gone to hide in this house. Neville sat on the floor beside his friend, facing the same general direction of the windows. He waited in silence.

After several minutes, Draco finally spoke. "Where's Luna?"

"Laying down." Neville answered. "She apparently slept through all the excitement."

"Yeah," Draco looked at his friend for a moment, then back out the window. "She had a rough night last night. The baby kept her up. You know, kicking and all."

Neville shrugged. "No, I don't know, but I'll take your word for it."

They sat a bit longer before Draco looked over at him. "This is the part where you're supposed to say something to make me feel better."

Neville shrugged. "What is there to say? It's not an easy situation for anyone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Draco studied his fingers for a moment. "But I'm being a dick for acting like this."

Neville stretched his legs out in front of him. "It's a whole new situation for you. You don't adapt well to change. So you react by being a dick." he snickered. "We're used to that."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Draco rolled his eyes and stood.

Neville grinned and held out his hand for Draco to help him up. "It wasn't the Sword of Hufflepuff I pulled out of the hat."

Draco snorted. "You're dating one. Shouldn't it have rubbed off or something?"

Neville shrugged again. "Marrying a Ravenclaw didn't make you smarter."

Draco smacked him on the back of the head and led him down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Shacklebolt stopped by the Manor later that evening. Nott had gotten away and made several apparation jumps before the aurors lost track. He offered to have some of the auror staff to stay at the Manor in case of trouble, but Lucius told them to go home and enjoy what was left of Christmas with their families.<p>

Shacklebolt had a drink with Lucius and Draco in the study before he left.

The Minister shook his head and stared into the fire. "Christmas Day and Theo was the closest thing to family the man had. Common sense should have told us he would have put in an appearance at the graveyard. I can't believe we didn't think of it beforehand."

"We'll get him." Draco said with more determination than he felt.

* * *

><p>The One Eared Twin sent Luna a pink pigmy puff for Christmas as she had insisted that they sang on Boxing Day.<p>

Luna was right.

* * *

><p>AN - Shout out to Miranda, my most faithful reviewer of late! Thank you!


	63. Candy Gets You in Trouble

Draco, Luna, and Xeno spent the day with the Weasleys on the 27th. They came home in the early evening, with Luna's eyes starting to droop. The late stages of pregnancy and carrying an extra 33 pounds (so far) directly in front of her had been draining her energy of late.

Draco kissed her temple. "Why don't you head on upstairs? I'll be there soon."

Luna looked from him to her father, frowning. "But Daddy is leaving tomorrow."

"It's okay, love," Xeno squeezed her hand. "We've had a fabulous day today. Get some rest so we can wake up early and have breakfast before I go. And I'll be home from this trip in a little over a month."

"Well,..." Luna hesitated for a moment.

"Go. You need your rest." Narcissa scolded gently.

Luna kissed Draco on the lips and everyone else on the cheek. She turned and made her way toward the door, waving just before she left the room.

"Now before the rest of you leave," Xeno's voice halted all of them. The man suddenly looked embarassed. "I want to thank all of you. I was certain that while I was gone, you would take care of Luna. But you've made her part of your family, and it's obvious that you all love her. Thank you for that."

Narcissa spoke before Draco could. "Of course, Lucius and I love Luna as our own. She is a Malfoy now, and she is part of our family. And you are part of our family as well."

Draco nodded. "Malfoys take care of our own."

"You, my boy," Lovegood smiled at him. "Luna has written me many times of you. You're obviously good to her. I'm still not happy about her being in the family way before she was properly wed, but, well, you aren't the first young couple to make that mistake. I'm honored to call you my son in law."

"Thank you." Draco looked at the floor, rather flustered.

"We weren't happy about the situation either, but it's turned out well." Lucius looked over at his son before looking back to Xeno. "I've said before, that if it had been my choice, I wouldn't have chosen Luna. Having seen them together, I think she suits him better than anyone I would have chosen."

Xeno and Narcissa nodded their agreement.

"Well, if you don't mind, I'll be heading upstairs as well now. Lots of packing to do." Xeno shook their hands as they bid him goodnight. "By the way, you know with that mistletoe hanging there, you're probably going to have a terrible nargle infestation come spring."

* * *

><p>Xeno Lovegood left the next morning, amid tears and discussions of unheard of creatures. Draco and Luna headed back to their house so Luna could put away all the clothes and toys Lucius and Narcissa (oh please, mostly Narcissa) had bought for their unborn grandchild. The two house elves made three trips each carrying all the packages.<p>

"And you realize she's planning a baby shower in two weeks, where there will be more gifts?" Draco asked.

Luna patted his cheek. "Your mother is really sweet."

"This is not the woman I grew up with." Draco grumbled. "This is an old woman trying to get into heaven."

* * *

><p>Lucius floo called his son the next day.<p>

"Do you have plans for New Year's Eve?" he asked.

"Yes, Luna and I were invited over to Harry Potter's house. The guys are having a few people over." Draco shrugged.

"Good." his father smirked.

"Why?" Draco asked, telling himself that he really shouldn't.

"Because I have plans with your mother." Lucius arched an eyebrow at him.

"Father! Ew!" Draco covered his face with his hands. "You should not tell me these things!"

"You asked." Lucius laughed at his son's embarassment. "Besides, we _are_ married."

* * *

><p>New Year with Harry and the gang was a small and quiet affair. Draco and Luna, Harry and Ginny, Neville and Hannah, Weasel and Granger, Scary and the Veela Chick, the One Eared Twin, and Seamus Finnegan, who nearly wet himself when he saw Draco.<p>

They mostly sat around, drinking butterbeer and eating Molly Weasley's baked goods and reminiscing about happy times at Hogwarts. Between the lot of them, they spent most of the evening laughing, and not mentioning the things that had come later. Draco got some good natured teasing about the ferret incident. Harry recounted the story of the Romilda Vane Love Potion Chocolates, including "Have you ever actually met her?" "No, could you introduce me?" but left off what happened later. The Weasley brothers had a seemingly endless supply of embarassing stories to tell about one another. Granger had quite a few to tell on everyone else.

Just before midnight, they drank a toast to those who weren't with them, and vowed to one another that 1999 would be the best year of all of their lives. Twin promised a New Year's party the following year that would be talked about for the next hundred years.

No matter how much they were prodded and teased by the others, George and Seamus refused to kiss each other at midnight.

* * *

><p>It would have been too much to ask for the peace to last until school started back. On January 2, Draco and Luna decided to go to Hogsmeade. There were a few things they actually needed, but mostly they wanted to get out of the house.<p>

They stopped by the apothecary first, picking up a few potion supplies. They were headed to the bookstore next, but just before they reached the door, Luna looked over and saw Honeydukes.

She stopped and sighed. "Some chocolate covered orange slices would be nice."

He grinned at her in amusement. "We'll go there next."

"I could just run get them while you're in the bookstore..." Luna suggested.

"Not going to happen." he looked at her seriously. "You remember who I ran into the last time I went to Honeydukes?"

She gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"I thought you wanted to see if they had Scamander's new book." Draco took another step toward the bookstore.

She was still giving him the puppy dog eyes.

"All right, we'll get the candy first." he grumbled as a huge smile lit her face.

They ended up with several kinds of sweets actually. The old woman remembered him and made a fuss over Luna, giving her the chocolate covered orange slices for half price.

Once Luna was appeased, they crossed the street to the bookstore. The store had just gotten their shipment of Rolf Scamander's new book on creatures of Australia. Luna picked it up and began flipping through. Draco headed toward the back of the store, where the dark arts related material was kept. He found a couple books he wanted for his lessons at Hogwarts.

One of the clerks approached him. He had been a Hufflepuff two years ahead of Draco. "We've just gotten a new shipment in. There's an author we've just started carrying. He's a muggle born Gryffindor, and his books are mostly written for muggles, but he writes fantastic adventure stories. I think you'll like them."

Draco followed the young man toward a table in the back center of the store.

"Draco!" he heard Luna's scream.

He turned, seeing Luna held from behind by Nott near the door. He shoved his way through the books, shouting at other customers to get out of the way, hexing one woman who didn't move fast enough. Before he was able to get a clear shot, Nott had dragged Luna out the door into the street.

They were gone, leaving Luna's bag of candy and book in the middle of the street.


	64. Hello, I Must Be Going

A/N - I was going to wait and post this tomorrow, but I didn't want to be responsible for mental breakdowns or other bodily harm coming to any of my dear devoted readers. (cough...hpfreak1213...cough)

* * *

><p>Draco fell to his knees in the middle of the street, too shocked to even think for a moment. He knew everyone must be shouting and carrying on around him, but the only thing he could hear was the pounding of his pulse in his head, and the only thing he could see was Nott dragging Luna out the door.<p>

Carlton from the bookstore knelt beside him, his hand on Draco's shoulder. "Mate, I called the aurors." Draco was nearly tackled as his mother threw her arms around him. "And your parents." Carlton added unnecessarily.

By the time Draco got to his feet, not an easy task with his mother clinging to him, apparition cracks had begun.

Shacklebolt was shouting orders the second his feet landed on the street. "I want this area sealed off! No one in or out! We need statements from everyone who saw anything, and whatever you can get from people who didn't see anything. We need magical signatures checked. We need to know how many unsubs we're dealing with. We need that book and candy. We need to know how Nott got into Hogsmeade. And could someone please tell me how a fully cloaked and masked Death Eater was walking around and no one called the aurors until he actually grabbed a woman?"

He walked over to Draco. "Are you okay?"

Draco just looked at him.

Shacklebolt looked over his shoulder. "Longbottom, Potter, and Weasley!" Draco heard their footsteps running toward him. "Take Malfoy home, preferably to Malfoy Manor. DO NOT let him leave! I don't care if you have to petrify him, tie him up, and sit on him. He is NOT to leave that house! Not even to go outside! Not even if Merlin himself shows up with Voldemort in his pocket!"

"I am NOT…" Draco began, but Shacklebolt cut him off.

"You are too close to this. You will be thinking with your emotions instead of logic. On top of that, Nott very well may be doing this just to make you do something stupid. And I haven't forgotten that you're keeping secrets."

Draco sighed and nodded. "But I want to know everything as soon as you know it."

Shacklebolt clapped him on the arm. "Fair enough. Go home. I'll be there in a bit to get your statement."

Everyone had barely gotten back to the Manor and settled into the house when Dimpy brought a message that had just arrived by owl to Lucius.

_Lucius,_

_How about a trade? Daughter in law for daughter in law? I will bring yours to the Manor on Monday and exchange her for mine. But I would rather you did not have aurors present. Otherwise, your granchild's health may be endangered. _

_Sincerely,_

_Theo Nott_

Neville walked outside to send a patronus to Shacklebolt. By the time he was back inside, Shacklebolt was coming through the floo.

Lucius handed him the parchment without a word.

Weasel spoke first. "What the bloody hell is he talking about? Theo wasn't married."

Draco angrily kicked the hearth. "Theo was betrothed to Tracey Davis."

"Okaaaaaay," Ron drew the word out. "Theo is dead. Why does Nott Senior need her now?"

"Revenge." Lucius snarled the word.

"For...?" Weasel made circles with his hand as if encouraging someone to continue.

"The fact Tracey is pregnant with Blaise Zabini's child." Draco sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I never knew Slytherin house was such a soap opera." Harry smirked.

Draco glared at him.

"So, we make a plan." Weasel suggested. "We polyjuice someone as Tracey, get ready..."

"Are you fucking stupid?" Draco roared, leaping directly in front of him. Harry and Neville quickly moved to either side of Draco to stop any possible bloodshed. "You want to leave Luna with him for two days, knowing what he's done to those other women? Are you seriously stupid enough to believe that he would just exchange Luna for Tracey and walk away? He said that my father destroyed his family so he wants to destroy my father's family! He's probably planning to kill Luna in front of us!" Draco turned just as suddenly and slammed his fist into the wall.

"Polyjuice potion won't duplicate pregnancy anyway." Neville shrugged.

"I was trying to help!" Weasel protested. "Better than standing around chatting about the weather!"

"Yes," Narcissa soothed. "Draco is just a bit stressed..."

"A bit?" Draco, Harry, Neville, and Lucius all shouted.

"Enough!" Shacklebolt shouted over all of them. "I'm taking this." he waved Nott's letter. "There's not much we've been able to get from the scene so far, but I'm going back for a little bit just to make sure. While I'm gone, try to think of anywhere Nott could be holding Luna." He stepped back into the fireplace and disappeared into green flames.

Draco sank down onto the sofa, staring at the floor. Moments later, the floo activated again. All six people in the room whirled toward the fireplace with wands drawn.

Jessamy Nolan stood in the sitting room, a look of panic on her face. "Berryhill found Tracey!"

"Is she all right? What happened?" Draco sprung to his feet.

Nolan nodded shakily. "The wards have held so far. But Berryhill was outside the apartment trying to get in."

"We've got to move her before he gets in." Draco pronounced grimly.

"You might as well bring her here." Lucius said. He shrugged when everyone looked at him. "The Manor is heavily protected under normal circumstances. I imagine that for the next day or two, we're going to have guards from the Ministry as well."

"Do you really mean that?" Nolan looked ready to melt in relief.

Lucius nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but the fireplace roared again. Seven wands turned toward it.

Arthur, Molly, Scary, and One Eared Twin Weasley came through one by one.

Molly nearly smothered Draco with a hug. Arthur and Lucius began discussing something earnestly in the corner, while Twin asked "Ickle Ronniekins" why his face was all red, sparking an argument between the two of them. Narcissa called Dimpy and asked for refreshments for everyone. Molly finally released Draco and turned to Harry, fussing over him.

"Still thinks I'm the next door neighbor, she does!" Twin protested over his mother's attention to Harry.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked, still watching the fireplace.

"She and Fleur are with Hermione. Something about safety in numbers." Scary shrugged

The floo activated again, and this time _everyone_ turned on it with wands drawn.

"Constant vigilance." Shacklebolt said with a sad smile.

"Constant vigilance." at least four other people repeated, nodding.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Shacklebolt narrowed his eyes at Nolan.

"Berryhill found Tracey." she informed him.

"Is she all right? What happened?" Shacklebolt demanded.

"Deja vu." Neville stage whispered at Harry, who nodded.

"The wards have held so far, but we've got to get her out before he finds his way in." she answered, sneaking a glance at Draco.

"Berryhill was spotted and you came to Malfoy, rather than the auror department?" Shacklebolt's question was rather sharp.

Nolan looked at him with annoyance. "I _did_ call the aurors. Everyone is in Hogsmeade."

"Oh." Shacklebolt actually looked amused. "Yes, I suppose they are." He walked over to the floo and called to the bookstore, asking whoever answered to find Robards for him.

"Boss." Robards acknowledged a few moments later.

"Send Savage and Mikronos over here to the Manor. While Nott distracted us, Berryhill's been trying to cause trouble. I want you to stay there and oversee the scene."

"Will do." Robards closed the floo connection.

"I wouldn't have made you spill all the details." Shacklebolt frowned at Draco. "You could have told me that you'd put her somewhere under a fidelis charm and you were the secret keeper and I wouldn't have gotten pissed at you."

Draco bit his lip and looked at the floor. "She's not exactly under a fidelis charm."

Shacklebolt's eyebrows shot upward.

"It's hard to put a muggle apartment building under a fidelis charm." Draco shrugged. "But the wards held."

"So far." Shacklebolt snapped, but the rest of what he was going to say was cut off by the floo activating and only half the room drawing their wands on it this time.

The two aurors stepped out of the fireplace. Shacklebolt briefly told them what had happened with Berryhill. Nolan floo called Tracey, who sounded very relieved to be asked to take down the wards on the floo so that the aurors could come through. Nolan went first, followed by the two newest arrivals.

Shacklebolt turned to his trainees before he stepped into the fireplace.

"_He_," he pointed at Draco. "Does not leave. Period."

The three trainees all confirmed their understanding before the Minister left.

For the next hour, Draco alternated between randomly destroying things and sitting down and staring into space or at the floor. Everyone else just let him be.

At least until the third time he had cracked the marble top on the end table beside Narcissa's favorite chair and someone had to repair it. His mother ordered Neville and Bill to take him to the room above the kitchen. If he wanted to break things so badly, not that she blamed him, he could break his own things.

Before they could get out of the room, a faint light crossed the shadows falling on the lawn and bounded into the window. A hare patronus. A very weak one at that.

"Draco, I'm home." Luna's voice sounded feeble.

"Tabby!" Draco shouted, rushing toward the rapidly fading patronus.

No house elves appeared.

"Tabby!" he yelled louder, sounding very much like Lucius at the moment. "Linus!"

Still nothing.

"Dimpy!" Lucius called.

The elder Malfoy's house elf appeared immediately. "Master called?"

"Yes," Lucius looked at Draco. "I need you to go to Master Draco's house and report back to me if Mistress Luna and the house elves are there."

"Right away sir." Dimpy disappeared with a crack.

Thirty second later the elf returned. "Mistress Luna is at home, sir."

Draco let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "What about the house elves? Is there anyone else there with them?"

"Tabby and Linus are tending to their mistress." the elf wrung his hands and looked at the floor. "There is no one else in the house. Dimpy checked."

"What do you mean they're tending to her?" Draco demanded. "What is wrong with her?"

"Mistress Luna said to tell you she was all right but she needs you to come home." Dimpy was pulling on his own ears and looked to be in terrible distress.

"Did she look like she was in pain?" Draco asked.

"Yes," the elf bobbed his head. "Yes, Mistress Luna was in pain."

Draco had his wand in his hand all along, so before anyone could realize what he had done, he non-verbally petrified Harry and Weasel.

"Draco, don't do something stupid." Neville warned.

"I've got to go to her! She's hurt!" Draco cried.

Neville gave him a pitying expression. "You don't know it's really her. It could be a trap."

"You can't fake a patronus." Scary interjected.

"Let me go with you." Neville offered.

"You can't." Draco shook his head. "You're in training to be an auror. You would be disobeying a direct order. You can't throw what you've worked for away."

Neville opened his mouth to protest, but Draco petrified him too.

"Now wait just a minute young man," Arthur Weasley started across the room with his wand pointed at Draco.

Lucius petrified him from behind, at the same moment Twin petrified his own mother.

"Damn, I've always wanted to do that." he grinned.

"You are sooooo dead when the spell wears off." Scary rolled his eyes. "Hermione will have to obliviate _our_ mum and send her to Australia"

"I'm coming with you." Lucius turned to his son.

"You can't. You're still under house arrest." Draco shook his head. He looked at his mother. "You're not coming either. If it is a trap, I won't have you walking into it."

"That leaves me to come with you." Scary looked at Draco.

"Me too." Twin added determinedly.

"I can't ask..." Draco began.

"You didn't. We volunteered." Scary cut him off.

"And neither of us work for the Ministry." Twin shrugged. "What's he going to do to us? Cancel our birthdays?"

"Let's go then." Draco opened one of the floor to ceiling windows and jumped out, landing on the soft grass. The Weasley brothers followed him out, as Narcissa shouted love and luck behind them.

They made it to the edge of the boundary and apparated, landing in Draco's front yard.

At least the house was in one piece, which was better than the last time he had rushed to his house like this. He bounded up the steps and through the front door.

Luna was laying on the sofa, bent over as double as she could manage around her belly, with Tabby holding her hand. Linus was making trmendous noises in the kitchen, apparently looking for something. Draco was instantly on his knees beside her, smoothing her hair away from her face.

"Luna, Luna, precious," he murmured. "Are you all right? What happened? How did you get here?"

She looked up at him and smiled, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "I really didn't want to be held prisoner in someone's cellar again. So I waited for him to leave me alone, and I thought about how much I wanted to go home." she kissed Draco, a quick peck on the lips. " It took several tries, because I've never apparated without a wand before. And then I did it in several jumps, so he couldn't follow me straight home." She smiled at him again.

She probably hadn't even noticed that Scary and Twin were there.

Draco kissed her again. "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?"

Luna shook her head. "He was rather polite, other than dragging me out of the store and making me leave my candy behind."

"Did he..." whatever Draco was going to ask next was cut off in Luna's grimace of pain.

"Draco," she gasped. "We really should go to St Mungo's now."


	65. The Newest Malfoy

A/N - Merry Christmas! A light, fluffy, feel good chapter about the newest member of the Malfoy family.

Or at least it starts out that way...

* * *

><p>Draco froze. "You … no… you're … having the baby?"<p>

"I think so." Luna nodded.

"Like, _now_?" Draco asked.

Luna looked at him hopelessly. "That's what it feels like."

"It's not time yet!" Draco shouted.

"I'm aware of that." Luna sighed. "And I've been trying to tell your son for the past hour."

"We did NOT volunteer to deliver a baby." Twin finally spoke. "So I suggest we take Luna to the hospital now."

Draco helped Luna to her feet and to the floo. Luna asked Bill and George to get her bag from upstairs. They promised to do so and meet them at the hospital.

Luna and Draco arrived at St Mungo's, and she was turned over to the care of a healer. Draco headed down the hall to floo the Manor to let everyone know what was going on. He turned a corner and walked straight into Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Draco wondered for a second if he could outrun the man, but Shacklebolt smirked at him. "I understand that I have quite a mess to clean up at the Manor."

Draco shrugged. "Sorry." He mumbled sheepishly.

About that time, Scary and Twin rounded the same corner and stopped.

"We'll just be going now, and let you two talk…" Twin started to turn around.

"Just a minute there, George." Shacklebolt's voice stopped him. "The three of you hexed three auror trainees, a ministry employee, and a civilian." he crossed his arms. "You," he glared at Draco. "Disobeyed a direct order from the acting head of the Auror Office, who also happens to be the Minister of Magic. Part of me wants to lock all of you up so you can think about what you've done."

"What does the other part want to do?" Twin piped up as both Draco and Scary turned to him with looks begging him to shut up. He shrugged.

"Offer you all jobs." Shacklebolt shook his head and grinned. "That took a lot of nerve."

Draco and the Weasley brothers breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Now," Shacklebolt continued. "Is Luna all right, and how did she get away from Nott?"

"She waited until he left the room, and she apparated. Without a wand." Draco said, watching the Minister's eyes go wide. "She's okay, but she's gone into labor."

Shacklebolt nodded. "Tracey Davis went into labor too, over everything that went on. Nolan's in there with her."

Draco frowned. "Is it a full moon or a wrackspurt infestation or something?"

"What?" Scary looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"Never mind. Apparently I've been around Luna too long." Draco shook his head. "Not sure where that came from."

"Mr. Malfoy!" one of the healer assistants came running up to him. "You need to come quick! It's almost time!"

"What do you mean it's almost time?" he asked, eyes wide. "I thought it was supposed to take like 12 hours or something!"

"Not this time!" the healer assistant was tugging on his arm.

Draco looked around at the Weasleys and Shacklebolt. "My parents don't even know yet!"

"I'm headed back to the Manor, so I'll tell them." Shacklebolt gave him a gentle push. "Go. Hurry up. The kid is not going to wait for you."

"Gred would make a nice middle name!" Twin called after him. "Or Forge!"

"William is much better!" Scary added.

The healer assistant led Draco down several halls until they reached the maternity unit. She practically shoved him through the door into a room where Luna lay on a bed, with a healer Luna had seen before and two assistants tending to her.

She looked up and smiled at him. "Hello, Draco. I'm glad you made it in time."

"Oh, the father is here?" Healer Alderbourne turned and spotted him. "Right on time too. She's about to start pushing, and I think it will only be a few minutes before we meet your son."

Draco felt almost faint as he made his way to Luna's side. She took his hand and leaned up to kiss his nose. "I love you too." he whispered, looking down at their clasped hands. "Aren't you supposed to be screaming and trying to break my hand and telling me that I'm never going to touch you again? That's what Harry and Neville told me would happen."

Luna wrinkled her brow at him. "When have Harry and Neville ever had babies? I haven't screamed at all because I didn't want to frighten the baby or attract wrackspurts. I wouldn't break your hand, because then you wouldn't be able to help with the baby, and I rather like it when you touch me." She smiled up at him serenely.

"Pardon the interruption," Alderbourne cut in. "But would the two of you like to chat or have a baby?"

"I'm good with the chatting." Draco answered.

"You're getting a hippogriff for Valentine's Day." Luna informed him.

"Well, I don't think your son is going to be patient much longer." the healer told them with a wink. "Luna, I think it's time for you to push with the next contraction."

Luna nodded, but before anyone else could speak, the door burst open again.

"What did I miss?" Narcissa bustled into the room, kissing both Luna and Draco on the cheek.

"Not much." Draco shrugged. "Luna is about to start pushing and she's threatened me with a hippogriff."

Narcissa smirked. "Your father told his colleagues at the Ministry the reason we named you Draco is because I breathed fire when I was in labor." Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Your father is in the waiting room with Shacklebolt and the boys. They were all afraid that if they had to witness childbirth, they would be scarred for life."

"The whole lot of them faced down the Dark Lord. And Aunt Bellatrix, who was even scarier." Draco made a face of disgust.

"That's what I told..."

Luna tightened her grip on Draco's hand, raising herself up in the bed, and before Draco could ask what she was doing, he suddenly realized she was pushing.

"You could help her!" his mother smacked him on the head before practically running around to the other side of the bed.

"Do what?" he shouted. "She's the one who has to push!"

Narcissa gave him The Look, taking Luna's other hand and slipping her free hand behind her daughter in law's back. "Help support her back. Telling her she's doing well. Act like you're doing _something_ helpful."

"Oh." Draco shrugged. "No one tells me these things."

Luna lad back on the bed and tried to catch her breath.

Draco squeezed her hand. "You're doing great. It will all be over and he's going to be here soon."

She smiled and nodded. The next contraction hit, and Luna pushed again, this time with Draco and Narcissa holding her hands and her back.

"Good job, there, mum." Alderbourne encouraged. "Here's the top of his head. Let's give it one more good push, hmm?"

Luna pushed again, and their son came into the world. Draco held his breath until he heard the baby cry. The healer assistant held the baby for them to see, telling them she would clean him up and measure him quickly, and then they could hold him.

"Six pounds exactly." the assistant announced. "A bit small, but a good size for being early like he was. Lungs are clear, heartbeat sounds good. He's a right healthy little thing."

Draco smiled and kissed Luna on the lips. She pulled back and kissed his nose.

The assistant brought the blanket wrapped baby over and laid him in his father's arms. Draco sat on the edge of the bed to show Luna. Narcissa scurried back over to the other side of the bed so she could see.

"That's much better." Draco sighed. "At first, he looked like he had been in Potions class with Neville and Finnegan." Draco was whacked on the back with Narcissa's purse. "What? You didn't see him with all the disgusting stuff all over him?"

"He's perfect." Luna beamed.

"He looks like his father." Narcissa smiled widely.

"Mr. Malfoy," Aldebourne interrupted. "and Grandmother, I hate to do this, but we need to clean mom up and do a little healing on her. Just strictly routine." he shook his head at the look on Draco's face. "Nothing to get concerned over. She did wonderfully. But why don't you take the baby and introduce him to Grandpapa and whoever else is in the waiting area, and then you come bring him in for some mum time in a few minutes."

Luna tugged Draco's arm closer so that she could kiss the baby's nose. "I'll see you in a few." she whispered to her son, who yawned and frowned as his tiny fist brushed against his cheek. "Definitely looks like his father." she grinned up at Draco.

Narcissa held the door open, ushering Draco out into the waiting area. Not only was Lucius there with Shacklebolt, Neville, Harry, and Ron, but the Weasleys including Weaslette and Veela and Granger were there as well. He sat down beside his father, laying his son on his lap so that everyone crowding around could see him.

"He's adorable," Weaselette breathed.

"'e's very 'ansome." Veela agreed.

"He's so tiny!" Neville exclaimed.

"I had forgotten how small babies were." Weasel said softly.

"You were never that small." his father informed him. "You weighed almost eleven pounds when you were born."

Lucius didn't say a word. Draco realized that his father's jaw was clenched, and that he probably didn't trust himself to speak. Instead, Lucius put one hand on the back of his son's neck, and reached out the other to touch his grandson's tiny hand.

"Can I hold him?" Harry asked.

Draco pulled the baby against his chest, grinning. "This one's mine. Go get your own."

"NOT ANY TIME SOON!" Molly Weasley bellowed, causing half the room to laugh.

"So did you go with Gred or Forge?" Twin asked from over Draco's shoulder.

"His name is Orion Neville William Malfoy." Draco announced, looking up to catch the two namesakes' eyes as he spoke their names.

Scary locked his gaze with Draco's. "I was kidding about naming him William."

Draco shrugged. "It was a lot better than Gred or Forge."

"Thank you." Scary told him, sincerely touched.

After a few more minutes of adoration, Alderbourne told them Luna was ready to see Orion now. Unfortunately, they had given her a pain potion that made her drowsy, so she was only able to spend half an hour with her son before she fell asleep. Draco sat by her bedside holding the baby, watching both of them sleep for three hours. Or more precisely, staring entranced at his son with occasional glances at his wife. Narcissa finally threatened him that if he didn't let her hold the baby, she would make sure he never had any other children. He grudgingly gave up Orion and wandered out into the waiting room.

To his surprise, Harry and Neville were still there, with his father.

"Davis had her baby less than an hour ago. She had a boy too." Neville gestured down the hall with his thumb. "Nolan left a few minutes ago. She didn't say anything. She was kind of emotional."

Draco nodded.

"We're going to get something to eat. You want to come along?" Harry asked.

"No, but if you would bring me back a bottle of water, that would be great." Draco smiled and watched as his friends and Lucius headed down the corridor.

He waited a moment before making his way down the hall to the door being guarded by an auror. Tracey was sitting up in the bed, holding a blanket wrapped bundle. She smiled when she saw her guest.

"How are you feeling?" Draco asked.

"Like I was hit by a train," she smiled, but seemed nervous. "But happier than I ever could have imagined."

He approached the bed and leaned over to peek at the baby. "What's his name?"

"Blaise."

Draco smiled sadly.

"Do you want to hold him?" she offered.

He smiled. "I probably should practice."

She settled the baby in his arms and he sat in the chair by the bed. Draco was surprised at how much larger he was than Orion, but then again, Orion was smaller than average. He pulled the blanket back slightly to see the baby's face.

He really expected the baby to look like Blaise. Or at least, to have dark hair and dark eyes like Blaise. But the child was as fair as Orion, with a dusting of dark blond hair, ivory skin, and blue-gray eyes. The jaw was rounder than Blaise's, the shape of the eyes was just like Tracey. He didn't understand until he saw the baby's nose.

Baby Blaise and Orion had the same nose. They both had Draco's nose. The irony was so thick he could taste it.

"What have you done, Tracey?" he growled.

"I don't know what you mean." she didn't meet his eyes.

"This is not Blaise's child." he spoke softly, not to startle the baby, but with great intensity. "He's Theo's."

She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes and beginning to spill over. "I loved Blaise. But my parents arranged the match with Theo, and I didn't think there was anything I could do. I even had Blaise's sister look over the contract and she couldn't find a way out. So I broke things off with Blaise, and thought I would make the best of it with Theo. Theo was a good guy. And he...he," she broke off for a minute, taking several deep breaths before she continued. "he was ... he would have been a good husband. He would have done anything for me. We were together for two months and he treated me like a queen. But then Blaise came to me and told me he loved me. He said we would run off when school was out, go somewhere that no one would find us. And I still loved Blaise. So I broke things off with Theo." she took another deep breath and wiped the tears off her cheeks with the palms of her hands. "I found out I was pregnant the week before... before the Battle at Hogwarts. I told Blaise I didn't know who the father was. Blaise said he didn't care, we were going to be someplace else where no one knew us any way, so we would raise the baby as his no matter what. The night of the final battle, Theo took off, and I knew he had gone to fight. I couldn't do it any more. I couldn't lie to both of them, knowing we ... that Theo would never know about the baby. Blaise went to get Theo and bring him back. But neither of them came back." she dissolved into sobbing.

Draco looked at his nephew, wondering how on earth Slytherin house did get to be such a soap opera.

* * *

><p>Woohooooo! 100 reviews as of Christmas Day! Thank you so much to everyone that has stuck with this story so far!<p> 


	66. Green Eyed Monster

A/N - One more short and sweet little chapter, before the Death Eaters show up again. ;)

* * *

><p>It fell to Draco to explain to Tracey that her child was actually a Malfoy, and as such, under his family's protection, and to fill in his parents, Luna, and Harry and Neville, who were still at the hospital, that the Malfoy family had two new grandchildren.<p>

His parents had immediately gone down the hall to overwhelm Tracey and Baby Blaise.

"So why didn't she tell everyone that it really was Theo's child when Nott was trying to kill her?" Harry asked.

"Because she didn't want Nott having anything to do with her child. And Nott didn't really have any other family, so there was no one to help her. Blaise's family did whatever they could for her because they thought it was Blaise's child." Draco explained.

"So she lied to that family, and broke their hearts when they found out it wasn't really Blaise's son." Neville was angry. "That's so..."

"Slytherin." Draco rolled his eyes.

Little Orion began to stir and fuss. Harry handed the baby back to his father, who changed him. By then, the child was crying in earnest.

"He's probably hungry," Luna said, holding out her arms. Draco handed her the baby. She cradled him in one arm while the other went to unbutton her top.

"Whoa!" Neville clapped his hand over his eyes. "No! What are you doing?"

"Feeding the baby." Luna replied obliviously.

"Neville and I will be leaving now, and let you handle that." Harry jumped to his feet, his face bright red.

The two of them hurriedly muttered goodbyes and fled the room before they caught sight of any unmentionable body parts.

Draco watched in fascination as his son latched on and began to nurse. Luna stroked his little bald head and spoke to him softly. She looked up to find Draco staring.

"Wow." he said softly.

"What?" she smiled. "That I can feed him?"

"That we _made_ him." Draco breathed. He looked up at her. "I meant what I said before. I'm sorry you had to go through this right now, but I wouldn't undo him for anything in the world."

Luna leaned over and kissed his nose.

"And I'm so glad Pansy wasn't his mother."

The little family was able to spend over an hour alone before Draco's parents returned, as excited as children on Christmas.

"Two new grandsons!" Narcissa was almost giddy. "I've so much to do! We haven't even started on a nursery for Blaise yet. I haven't gotten him any clothes or toys. I'll have to see if I can get the boys at least a few matching outfits..."

"Cissy," Lucius interrupted with the hint of an indulgent smile. 'You'll have years and years to spoil our grandsons."

Draco stood abruptly, scraping his chair back loudly, and stomped down the hall.

Lucius found him sitting on the floor in the corner, at the dark end of the corridor. He sat down next to his son, draping an arm across his shoulders.

"My son was born first." Draco snapped. "Orion is your first grandchild."

"Oh, Draco," his father sighed. "This is what I would have been worried about if Theo had lived. You've never had to share your family with anyone."

"And I'm an absolute dick for being upset that Theo had a son." Draco's voice was a whiny mixture of anger and hurt.

"No son, you're just human." Lucius shifted, trying to get more comfortable. "If Theo had lived, and I still found the truth, I would have loved him because he was my flesh and blood. But he and I never would have had the bond you and I have. Theo never ran to me when he was frightened. He never climbed up on the sink and asked me to comb his hair like mine. He wasn't the infant I held for hours while he slept the first time he was sick because I was so afraid he would stop breathing. I never sat on his bed late at night because I missed him when he went to Hogwarts." He paused and looked at his son. "I never blew up the Wizengamot over Theo." Draco looked at him with a mix of adoration and aggravation. "I will love Orion and Blaise and any other children you may have. But I'll never love anyone the way I love you."

Draco turned awkwardly in the small space, putting both his arms around Lucius. "I love you too, Father. And I'm sorry."

Lucius ruffled his hair fondly, as he had done when Draco was a child. "It's nothing. Now get yourself together so we can get back to those babies."


	67. It All Ends

Lucius and Narcissa insisted that for the first few days, both new mothers and babies come back to the Manor. They claimed it was so there would be plenty of people to help out with the babies. Draco was sure they just wanted to get a head start on spoiling.

The morning after they came home, birth announcements for both Malfoy grandsons ran in The Daily Prophet. Which meant that Lucius and Narcissa acknowledged Theo as Lucius' son. The owls were three times more than Draco and Luna's engagement announcement.

That afternoon the family was in the green sitting room.

Draco and Luna were on the loveseat, with Luna holding Orion, who had just finished eating. Narcissa was cuddled against her husband on the sofa, holding Blaise while Tracey went to the bathroom.

Tracey had just returned to the room and settled into the chair when the floo activated. No one thought much of it, as there had been company frequently since the babies had come home.

That is, no one thought much of it until the house elves began shouting. Draco looked over at Luna, who had closed her eyes. There were several small pops, which Draco recognized as the house elves apparating out.

He scrambled to his feet, wand at the ready, as Berryhill and Goyle appeared in the doorway. The battle began immediately, with Lucius leaping to his feet as well. The two Malfoy men threw and blocked hexes while trying to shield the women and babies.

After an intense three minutes, Draco managed to stupefy Goyle, and Lucius had hit Berryhill with a curse Draco didn't know. Berryhill was bleeding heavily from a deep gash on his chest. Draco tossed his wand onto the end table and grabbed one of the babies' blankets, trying to stop the bleeding.

Lucius had turned to make sure the women and babies were unharmed when he was hit with a non-verbal expelliarmus. At the same time, Draco felt a wand pressed to his jugular and was roughy yanked to his feet.

Draco cursed under his breath. He cast a non-verbal finite incantatum to reveal Nott, who had slipped in behind the others under a disillusionment charm.

"Why did you come here, you fool?" Lucius spat. "All of us, and only three of you. You have no chance of getting out of here."

"On the contrary, Lucius, it appears..." Nott began.

"He wants to see little Blaise." Luna interrupted.

Everyone turned to look at her.

"He does. It's Theo's son. And he loved Theo." Luna tilted her head at Nott.

The old man's eyes had gone soft. "Could I see him?"

Narcissa stepped forward, holding the baby. Nott released Draco, who immediately positioned himself between the Death Eater and Luna and Orion.

Narcissa walked up beside Nott, turning so the man could see the child's face. "He is my Theo's boy, isn't he?" he looked in wonder at the baby. "He's got Theo's mouth."

"He's got Theo's nose, too." Tracey told him.

Nott smiled at the baby. "He does, doesn't he?"

Narcissa apparently decided that family bonding time was over and walked back to Lucius. Nott took one last long, sad look at little Blaise before his face turned hard again.

There were several soft pops as the house elves began apparating back into the room with reinforcements - Dimpy with Shacklebolt, Rinka with Scary and Mr. Weasley, and Scoba with the auror trainees.

He raised his wand toward Draco, speaking slowly and clearly. "Avada..."

Draco stood unflinching and cast a non-verbal shield over his wife and son.

"AvadaKedavra!" The green light flew from Scary's wand before anyone else could react.

Nott fell dead in front of the fireplace, his wand rolling out of his limp hand.

"He wanted you to kill him. He didn't want to be sent to Azkaban." Luna looked at Bill, stepping forward to put her hand on her husband.

"I don't have a problem with that." Bill shrugged.

"Berryhill is dead." Arthur announced, checking the body on the ground.

"How did they get past the wards?" Harry asked.

"Auror," Draco said "The wards were set to let aurors through. Berryhill was never removed, was he?"

"No. Damn." Shacklebolt shook his head. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry."

"It's fine." Lucius assured him. "It's all over now."


	68. Epilogue 1

_July 2003_

Draco stepped out of the lift at St Mungo's and instantly zeroed in on Harry.

Not difficult, since his dark hair stood out against the sea of redheads like a dragon in a sheep fold.

"How are they?" he asked softly.

"Neville's going to be okay. He took a sectum sempra and lost a lot of blood, but he was able to get himself and Ron out of there." Harry looked at the floor. "Nolan didn't make it."

Draco blew out his breath and nodded. "I hate to hear it. But I hope she's finally found some peace."

Harry nodded sadly. "Yeah. She never really got over the whole deal with Blaise and Tracey. And then when Letty accidentally killed Thorne instead of her last husband, and Jess had to admit her stepmother was a murderer..." Harry trailed off, shaking his head.

"How bad is Weasel?" Draco looked around at the Weasley family, several of them crying openly, some barely holding it together.

"Bad." Harry pronounced grimly. "They said the next few hours are critical."

Draco focused on where Luna and Weaslette sat, arms around one another. "He's tough. By this time tomorrow he'll be sitting up complaining they don't feed him enough."

Harry gave him a sad smile. "It will mean a lot to the family that you came. You and he still don't always get along."

"That doesn't mean I wanted to see anything happen to him." Draco shrugged. "Unless I was the one to do it."

He made his way across the room, speaking briefly to various members of the family, until he reached the cluster against the back wall.

"Minister," he nodded at Arthur, who nodded in return, his arms around his sobbing wife.

Scary stood to hug him. "Always good to see you, Draco." he murmured.

"Yeah, wish it could be better circumstances." Draco nodded.

The bushy haired brunette was biting her lip and tying a handkerchief in knots. Draco sat beside her and squeezed her hand. "Granger." he said gruffly. She had been Mrs. Weasley for over two years. Draco still called her Granger. She still answered to it. "If there's anything we can do..."

She buried her face in his shoulder and nodded. He rubbed her back, looking around, estimating his chances of being rescued before she sobbed on him.

A healer came into the room. "We think we've gotten all of his internal bleeding stopped, finally. We're going to keep him sedated for at least the next 24 hours, to let his body rest and heal, and to make it easier for us to watch him for signs of more bleeding or infection."

Granger had risen to her feet, and Scary was beside her, arm around her shoulders. "He's going to be all right?" she asked hopefully.

"It's too soon to say that for certain," the healer shrugged. "But things surely look much better than they did an hour ago."

Draco made his way to the edge of the group. "I'm going to let Neville know. Where is he?"

Harry pointed to a room near the end of the hall. "Hannah and Shacklebolt are with him. He's pretty shaken up about the whole thing."

"I'm sure." Draco sighed. "Come get me if anything happens." He looked over at Luna and Weaslette again. "Or if either of our wives go into labor."

Harry nodded, looking over at the two pregnant women. "At least we're already at the hospital."

Draco made his way down the hall, knocking lightly on the door. Shacklebolt opened it, ushering him in.

Neville, pale with dark smudges under his eyes, was propped up in bed. Hannah smiled at their visitor. Neville gave a half hearted smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Hannah walked over and hugged the new arrival. "Hi Draco. I'm glad you're here." She gave him a significant look.

He nodded in understanding. "We would have been here sooner, but we had to wait for my parents to come and stay with the kids. Then we were outside talking to the Weasleys. Ron's doing a little better, by the way."

"Oh, Luna came with you?" Hannah asked. "Isn't she due soon?"

"Two more weeks." Draco smiled. "She's out there with Ginny Weasley. Um, Potter."

"And Ginny's three days past her due date." Hannah shook her head. "I'm going to go speak to them." She looked a Shacklebolt, then at Draco and then Neville.

"I'm going to go check on Arthur and Molly." The head auror followed her out the door.

Neville looked at Draco with defeated eyes. "My wife is about as subtle as a train wreck, isn't she?"

Draco snickered. "Yeah. She never would have been sneaky enough to be a Slytherin, that's for sure."

"I don't want to talk about it." Neville said, looking down at his lap.

"We don't have to." Draco sat in the chair Hannah had vacated. "We can talk about other things. While you were gone, Tracey signed the papers for us to adopt Blaise."

Neville turned to look at him. "How are you with that? You said you felt like you were taking him away from his mother."

Draco shrugged. "Well, he's spent more of his life with us than her anyway. At this point, I just want him to have stability. He cried and didn't want to go with her the last time she came to see him. When he asks, we'll just tell him that his mother loved him, but she was too young and immature and couldn't be the kind of mother he needed."

"So you're about to have four kids." Neville grinned at him. "Is this going to be the last one?"

"I doubt it." Draco snorted. "Luna swears I just walk into the room and she falls pregnant. She was actually taking the potion when she got pregnant this time."

Neville rolled his eyes. "Don't even try to say you mind. You're crazy about your family."

"Yeah. Yeah, I am." Draco smiled. "I wouldn't trade Luna and the kids for anything."

"I'm jealous, mate." Neville looked at his hands. "You know that?"

"Of what?" Draco asked. "You are Neville Fucking Longbottom, badass auror, horcrux killing war hero, and married to the hottest Hufflepuff I've ever met. And she owns a pub."

Neville shook his head sadly. "Hannah wants kids. But I can't do that, knowing that next time I might be the one who doesn't come home."

Draco sighed. "You can't live your life planning to die. What happens when you don't?"

"Do you know how I survived what happened tonight?" Neville asked. He reached into the drawer of the nightstand, withdrew a leather pouch, and tossed it to Draco. "Those. They kept me alive tonight."

Draco opened the bag to find a collection of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum wrappers. "Your mother's gum wrappers?"

Neville shrugged. "I didn't know what they meant until about a year ago. I just kept them because my mum gave them to me. But we were on a raid one night, and Shacklebolt saw me hit with three curses directly. They didn't even knock me down. We couldn't figure out how, until we realized I had these. Bill Weasley looked at them. Each one is charmed to repel or at least diminsh a certain curse. Of course, there were like ten for the Leg Locker Curse and none for Sectum Sempra."

"So you've got extra protection." Draco shrugged.

"Well, to some extent." Neville agreed. "I can't tell an ex-Death Eater in the middle of a duel 'Oh wait, you can't use Dolohov's Purple Curse, I don't have a gum wrapper for that one.'"

The two of them looked at each other and laughed.

Neville looked at his hands again, then at Draco. "Seriously. I can't do this any more. Nolan died in my arms. Ron almost did. Harry almost did two years ago, and you almost did a few years before that. I can't bury any more friends. I can't leave my wife not knowing if I'll ever see her again. The War has been over for five years, and it's like I'm still in it."

"Then get out." Draco told him simply.

"How?" Neville asked.

"I told you Sprout's retiring. We need an Herbology teacher. And out of everyone I know, you're probably the most qualified. You're the only person I know who got an O on the N.E.W.T." Draco raised an eyebrow at him.

"But Hannah's got the Cauldron, I can't ask her to move to Scotland." Neville protested.

"You don't have to." Draco shook his head. "You can just floo home at night, like I do."

"I would have to speak in front of a bunch of people." Neville continued to argue.

"Neville, you told off Voldemort in front of a couple hundred Death Eaters." Draco looked at him with exasperation.

"Yes, but..."

"But stop." Draco said firmly. "You remember that little second-third year fat kid I tormented and he didn't have the nerve to stand up to me? You're being him again. Don't. Be the Neville who cut off the snake's head."

Neville looked at him seriously. "I was scared to death when I cut the snake's head off. But a Slytherin had my back."

Draco held out his hand. "The Slytherin still has your back."


	69. Epilogue 2

_November 2005_

Draco and Luna's fifth child came into the world on an unseasonably warm autumn evening.

His father looked into the silvery blue eyes that seemed so much more serene and wise than his older brothers and sisters had as newborns.

"I don't like either name," Luna said, crinkling her nose.

He carefully climbed up beside her in the bed, holding the baby where both parents could inspect him.

"Yeah, you're right," he said. "He doesn't look like a Regulus or a Severus."

"What?" she asked, kissing her husband's nose over her new son.

"I wish... No, never mind." Draco shook his head.

"Tell me," Luna folded her arms.

"No, bad idea," he kissed his son's forehead and then his wife's cheek.

"Tell me," she repeated stubbornly.

He sighed. "It's just that, well, today was Theo's birthday. I kind of wish we could name the baby after him. But I refuse to name my child after Theo Senior."

She tilted her head. "When was Theo Senior's birthday?"

He squinted in thought. "Early January. They used to have a big family dinner the night before Theo came back to school."

"Scorpius," she declared. "Because Theo Junior was a Scorpio and Theo Senior wasn't."

"Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy. Perfect." he agreed. He kissed her on the lips and turned back to coo at the baby. "And you're going to be Daddy's little Slytherin, aren't you? Not like the rest of this houseful of Griffyndor-Ravenclaw hatstalls we have around here."

There was a soft knock on the door and Narcissa stuck her head in. "They're dying to meet their new brother."

"Ready?" he asked Luna, who nodded. "Let them in."

Four little blonds stormed the bed. Orion wanted to know when he would be big enough to fly on a broom. Blaise pointed out that there were now more boys than girls again, as it should be, because girls are icky. Callie declared him cuter than a newborn umbugular slashkilter.

Two year old Cassie poked her little brother's cheek and chirped "Hello, baby."

"Cassiopeia!" her father admonished. "You have to be gentle with the baby!"

It was too late. Scorpius screwed up his tiny face and began to wail.

His hair turned the absolute perfect shade of Slytherin green.


	70. Epilogue 3

September 1, 2010

I finally made it. I am officially a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I mean, I've been here loads of times, with Dad and Uncle Neville both being teachers. But it's different to be coming here as a student. I'll be staying in the dorms and everything. That's going to be weird, when Dad goes home at night and I don't, but at least I won't be totally alone. I've got Blaise, my twin brother. Well, he's not really my twin brother, he's actually my cousin, but he's lived with us forever and calls my parents mum and dad. Everyone just presumes we're twins, and it's easier to just let them go with it than to correct them and have to explain it all. And my cousin Teddy is here too, but he's a year older.

So tonight's Sorting Ceremony is going to be a bit different. The past few years, my dad and Uncle Neville have done it. This year, Headmistress McGonagall is going to do it. Dad says it's one more time for old time's sake, because she's retiring at the end of the year. She's the one who used to do the ceremony when he was a kid. Uncle Neville laughed and told him to give it up, the only reason the old woman stuck around this long was because she wanted to be the one to put the hat on my head.

The ceremony is moving right along. This is a relatively small class this year, but dad says there will be twice as many next year, since there was a baby boom right after the war.

"Kensington, Elizabeth!"

A dark haired girl walks toward the platform. All of the heads of houses are standing there, and my dad helps her up onto the stool, because she's very short. Dad is the head of Slytherin and Uncle Neville is the head of Gryffindor. There's rivalry between the houses, but nothing like it was when they were kids. I think Dad and Uncle Neville had a lot to do with that because they've been best friends ever since the war. People look at them and think well, if a branded Death Eater and the guy who pulled the sword of Gryffindor out of the Hat can overcome their differences, what excuse has anyone else got?

The hat pauses a moment and shouts "Ravenclaw!"

Everyone politely cheers. Professor Flitwick shakes her hand, and she goes to the Ravenclaw table.

"Malfoy, Blaise!"

I watch as Blaise walks to the front of the Great Hall like he owns the place. Everyone knows where he's going, just like everyone knows that my sister Cassie is going to marry Al Potter one day. It's just a fact, and there's no use arguing. Blaise is such a Slytherin that Dad even specifically told him this morning that he was not allowed to open the Chamber of Secrets. Everyone thinks it's funny. Blaise isn't really my dad's son, but they all say he's so much like my dad when he was a kid. Blaise thinks up the mischief and cons the rest of us kids into doing it. Well, except for Lyra. She's only a year old. My parents have six kids, which is a lot for a pureblood family. After Lyra was born, Dad announced that he and Mum were both going to get spayed, whatever that means, because if they had any more kids they would catch up with the Weasleys. Mum just laughed at him. She does that a lot.

I don't think the hat even touched Blaise's head.

"Slytherin!"

Dad whooped and grabbed him up in a hug. Uncle Neville ruffled his hair and smiled at him. Uncle Neville loves Blaise, but they've never been close like Uncle Neville and I are. Uncle Neville is not really my uncle, he's my godfather.

"Malfoy, Orion!"

Here we go, it's show time, as my grandmother would say. There's been considerable debate as to what house I'm going to end up in. Uncle Harry says that I remind him a lot of Sirius Black, who was my grandmother's cousin and Uncle Harry's godfather. Uncle Harry's not really my uncle either. My family claims a lot of people who aren't *actually* related to us, but that's a whole other story.

Anyway, Uncle Harry says I'm Sirius all over again except for the blonde hair and my dad just rolls his eyes.

Uncle Neville settles me on the stool, and then looks over my head at my dad and grins. "You know where this one is going." he says.

Dad frowns at him. "Every Malfoy since the founding of this school has been a Slytherin."

The Headmistress puts the hat on my head.

"Two Malfoys in one year," I hear the Hat say in my head. I've been warned about this so I don't freak out like a little Hufflepuff. "But you're not like the other boy, are you? You believe in fairness, and you're right brilliant, but those aren't your strongest qualities. You're idealistic, loyal, and brave. You know where you belong, don't you?"

"If you put me in Gryffindor, my dad will die." I tell the hat.

"Yes, but we're here for you, Young Malfoy, not your father or grandfather or any of those long dead Malfoys. It is my duty to put you in the place that will make you the best wizard you can be."

I look up at Dad. He's shaking his head, whispering "No, no, no, no..."

"Please, pleeeeeeeeeeeease put me in Slytherin." I beg the hat.

"Gryffindor!"

Headmistress McGonagall bursts into laughter.

My dad reaches to hug me, but Uncle Neville grabs me up and swings me around first.

He looks over my head at my dad again and laughs. "That's my boy!"

* * *

><p>AN - *sob!* It's all over. I feel like one of my children has grown up and moved out or something. Thank you so much to all of my readers who have stayed with this story, which I never imagined would turn out this long. I have two more full length Druna stories that I've just started. Dragon's Song is lighter, a friendship turns romance without all the killer Death Eater drama. The Prisoner is darker, more angsty. If you'd like to follow one or both of those, I would be thrilled to have you. ;) Links in my profile.


End file.
